This article originally appeared on WDEF.com
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – Hamilton County Schools and AGC East Tennessee hosted a Construction Career Expo for 10th grade students on Friday.
“This is a fun day for students in high school to come out and learn about the trades in construction through actual hands-on demonstration,” said Leslie Gower, CEO of AGC East Tennessee.
Students were given the chance to explore the different job opportunities that exist in the construction industry.
“Construction is all about using your hands to build and create. And so, we felt like it is better than talking about construction, it is about doing construction,” Gower said.
Industry experts gave students insight on different trades such as masonry, carpentry, and plumbing.
“As a principal, I think it is really important to expose kids to these opportunities. There are a lot of misconceptions that are out there,” said Gerald Harris Principal of the Construction Career Center. “There are a lot of women in construction as well, so it is an opportunity for them to see it firsthand in regard to what the possibilities can be.”
AGC hopes to grow this construction expo in the coming years.
They want to make sure students are well equipped for the construction workforce.
“Next year we plan to make it really big and invite students from all over the counties that surround Chattanooga to come out and hopefully gain a better exposure and awareness about construction on a bigger level,” Gower concluded.