HCC and CCCD Radio Show Outline for September 2, 2007 Radio Show:
Colorado Construction Career Days October 3-4, 2007 at Adams County Fairgrounds. Event for High School Students Construction Career Days is an industry sponsored event for high school students, grades 10 through 12, to explore the various areas of construction – building, highway, engineering and architecture. Activities such as operating heavy equipment, a nail hammering contest, designing a traffic circle, testing materials, making a sheet metal tote, wiring an electric box, plumbing, surveying, troubleshooting equipment, fastening drywall, and safety equipment offer students a glimpse of the diversity of careers in the industry. Small groups of students are accompanied by construction industry volunteers who serve as a source of information about the industry as well as guides to the activities. This event brings together all the various careers giving students an opportunity to talk to the people that actually do the building, the engineering and design. The students have the opportunity to find out about the many career tracks in apprenticeships, company training programs, trade schools and college programs. Available Activities Some of the hands on activities include: • masonry • drilling • concrete stamping • carpentry • electrical splicing • pipe fitting • Some of the heavy equipment includes: • backhoes • mini-excavators • man-lifts • articulated boom trucks • Students get to climb into the operator’s seats and work the controls of one of these big machines. Samples of the technology demonstrations include architecture, engineering, estimating, and surveying. We will also have education and industry professional to include representatives from post secondary training programs, apprenticeship programs and possible internships. Schedule
High school guests will attend a morning session which includes lunch. Students are scheduled to arrive between 8:00 and 8:30, participate in the activities, try out the equipment, have lunch, and assemble for a fun time of awarding prizes. They also receive personal safety equipment which include a vest, hard hat and safety glasses, all of which they get to take home with them. Industry Participation There will be many volunteer available to answer questions for the students. All the volunteers at the event are from the construction career field. Here are a few samples of the type of volunteers that will be available: Electricians: Employment of electricians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. As the population and economy grow, more electricians will be needed to install and maintain electrical devices and wiring in schools, offices and other structures. Electricians enjoy being one of the higher paid trades. Carpenters: The construction industry needs skilled carpenters – it has more jobs than skilled workers to fill them. Apprenticeship programs provide the training to be a skilled carpenter. Apprentices in the Colorado Carpenters’ Apprenticeship program are paid to work alongside journeyman carpenters or millwrights while they learn the trade. The average starting wage for a building trades apprentice is $13 an hour; upon completion of the apprenticeship, the average hourly wage is $22. Masonry: Masons work with brick, concrete and glass block, tiles, terra cotta and stone. The work can be as simple as laying a wall or as complex as installing an ornate exterior. No matter what the job, the skill and precision required by a mason can never be replaced by machines. More importantly, the need for welltrained masons is on the rise. The wages of a skilled mason are one of the highest in the construction trade, ranging from $15 to $27 an hour. Public Works: Public works is one of the broadest professional fields available to future workers in the United States. The American Public Works Association is a professional organization made up of public works officials, road and bridge maintenance workers, facility maintenance personnel, consulting engineers, architects, vendors, and contractors. It is estimated that there are more than 3,000 engineers involved in public works in Colorado alone. More than 25 percent of these people will be retiring in the next decade, so there will be a lot of job opportunities in the public works field in the near future. The average salary of an experienced, five-year public works engineer is around $60,000 to $75,000 per year. Students interested in engineering and architecture careers must have an interest in math and in applying scientific principles to solve problems. They must graduate from an accredited engineering school with a bachelor’s degree in
some specialty area. Students interested in public works maintenance careers should have an interest in construction and/or mechanical equipment. The demand for construction and new housing continues to grow. Construction firms are increasingly turning to Colorado’s colleges and universities to find their next generation of leaders — people with the ideas and technical skills that will give companies a competitive edge. Every university or college has its own specialty, its own niche, in preparing students who want to make a career in the construction industry. Here is a sampling of some of the state’s larger programs. Colorado State University The Department of Construction Management at Colorado State University, one of the largest in the country, emphasizes construction management. Red Rocks Community College They offer a program that focuses on the five big trades — carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and construction management University of Colorado at Boulder As part of the construction and engineering program at the University of Colorado prepares engineering students who want to work in the construction industry whether it’s part of civil, environmental, or architectural engineering. University of Denver The construction management program at the University of Denver is focused on Real Estate and Development. Get More
Why the Event is Held on By the year 2010, 200,000 plus new construction workers will be needed for the industry. Where will they come from? Several years ago, the construction industry in Colorado recognized the need to step up recruitment to avoid a crisis. Associated General Contractors took the lead in introducing Construction Career Days. It’s become a major recruitment event during the last four years and just keeps getting more exciting. Where else can high school students try out a scissor lift, test drive a fork lift, build a sheet metal tote or a wood tool box, wire an electric receptacle, use a transom, or build a sheet rock wall? Where can they meet the people that design and build the Denver skyline including the Convention Center, Pepsi Center, Coors Field, TREX, and the great highways that keep us moving? It also provides an excellent event where can they meet potential employers.
How To Participate
Last year, nearly 1500 students attended Construction Career Days and we are expecting at least as many this year. Our high attendance is a direct result of promotion by the Construction Career Days Planning Committee. We send flyers and posters to all the school districts in the state and get the word out through school counselors, administrators, and Construction Tech teachers. This event puts a spotlight on the construction industry and highlights careers, training and apprenticeship programs available to young people. We teach and entertain high school students about design, engineering, and building. And our evaluations let us know they love it! GOALS • To increase the number of men and women entering the construction industry. • To educate young people about the many opportunities available to them in the construction industry. • To broaden students’ knowledge about the opportunities within the construction industry.