High school students from across western Kentucky stepped out of the classroom and into a construction focused career fair in Murray, where they rotated through hands on stations that ranged from bricklaying to heavy equipment simulators.
More than 1,600 students attended the Associated General Contractors’ Career Day at the William “Bill” Cherry Expo Center. More than 30 vendors set up interactive activities, giving students a chance to test skills such as laying bricks, welding, working with electricity, climbing beams, and operating machinery.
AGC Executive Vice President Chris Nelson said one main goal of Career Day is to show students how wide the construction industry is, and to help them see long term career options available close to home. He also emphasized networking, noting that making connections with people in the industry helps students get placed in the field after high school.
That emphasis matters for masonry, too. A bricklaying station puts the craft in students’ hands, and it gives mason contractors and apprenticeship programs a direct way to talk about real jobsite work, training expectations, and the day to day pride that comes with building with brick.
For contractors and training partners, the event offered a clear reminder. Students showed up for the hands on challenges, and they stayed for conversations that helped them connect the activity to a career, whether that path runs through union apprenticeship programs, construction management, engineering, or architecture.
Read the full, original article from WPSD Local 6 here.