Over 1,000 students rolled up their sleeves and engaged in hands-on construction career opportunities at a local career fair on Tuesday, November 19.
The inaugural Building Futures Career Expo welcomed grades 7 through 12 from over thirty schools across Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. The fair was held at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island on November 19 during the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week.
The career fair housed local union trades and contractors and contained over 40 different hands-on activities for students.
Tri-City’s Community Outreach and Workforce Planning Manager, Sarah Potter said at their booth, students could interact with 2D and 3D blueprint virtual-reality simulators.
“Hopefully, it’ll spark their curiosity to maybe ask more questions on, you know, what it takes to get into the industry, what skills you need to be successful, and hopefully start those conversations at home too, with their parents," Potter said.
Davenport West High School Senior, Bill Bruce said throughout school, he has always been a “hands-on learner” and found the event to be very useful for his future career goals.
“For kids to come talk to people who have worked hands-on, it gives them a different kind of perspective on different careers,” Bruce said. “There’s careers where you can sit down in an office or you could work with your hands in trades like these. I think that it’s just great for people to inform everyone about it.”
Brad Treiber, chairperson of Build the QC, said he hopes to hold this event again in future years to benefit both students and the local community.
“Here they have an opportunity to learn a life-long skill that they can take anywhere and get paid to do it,” Treiber said. “Using local construction, those dollars through payroll, through purchasing materials stays locally, which strengthens the local economy with their payroll and when they leave the market. So, it keeps local money local.”
The event was put together by the Associated Contractors of the Quad Cities (ACQC), the Associated General Contractors of the Quad Cities (AGCQC), and the Quad City Construction Industry Advancement Trust (QCCIAT).
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