More than 2,300 high school students from across Northern California gathered Wednesday at Cal Expo for High School Trades Day, a chance to do hands-on career exploration in the construction industry, where some experienced workers earn more than $70 an hour.
Natomas High School student Jaea Chatman, 17, said she came to the event because she didn’t feel like college would be her “cup of tea,” and her mother encouraged her to pursue a career in construction .
“My school had a building program, so I got into that class, and I really like it,” said Chatman, who identified a tool she used as an impact driver in a demonstration exercise.
Students started Wednesday by listening to a safety video before heading to the demonstration floor and practicing using equipment on different types of walls and small structures. A number of local construction companies have set up exhibitions to talk to students about their work.
Jordan Blair, CEO of the Construction Industry Education Foundation, said the construction industry offers young people a career where they can earn money while they learn.
“You’ll earn close to a college salary if you advance to mid-level career opportunities,” Blair said, “but you won’t get any student loans.”
Experienced pipefitters, for example, can easily make six figures, he said, and there are also opportunities to earn more in management. While people traditionally think of construction workers building structures from the ground up or doing renovations, Blair says there are plenty of opportunities to work in healthcare, government agencies and even Fortune 500 companies like Amazon.
These entities all need to maintain and sometimes remodel the built environment, he said, and they use a mix of contractors and internal staff to do this work.
According to Build California, demand is characterized as extremely high for laborers, carpenters and electricians, and high for both cement masons and workers experienced in operating heavy machinery, and pay ranges from $37 plus for experienced workers to $70 and up for travel electricians. .
The Construction Industry Education Foundation, a partner of the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange, also offers a summer training camp, a mentorship program and scholarships for high school students. They also offer training for managers and young professionals in the construction sector.
Want to explore internship programs? This is possible at Build California, an organization affiliated with AGC Construction Education Foundation. They even have an E-Cademy where you can dive into the world of safety helmets with free online lessons.
People can earn a good living and have a high quality of life while doing so, Blair says, and thanks to technological innovations, the jobs no longer require the same physicality they did 20 or 30 years ago.
“In California, where the climate is a little bit warmer, you tend to start your day earlier and end it earlier,” Blair said. “If you have kids, you might be free at 3 p.m. to coach T-ball or gymnastics with your kids, so there’s a quality of life value to being home and leaving work at work.”
