Arizona high school students explore construction careers at two-day Phoenix event

On Wednesday, high school students from across Arizona flocked to the Arizona Army National Guard's Papago site to explore careers in the construction industry.

Arizona Construction Career Days began in 2002. This year, 70 exhibitors and more than 4,500 students registered for the two-day event, according to Rose Ann Canizales, the president of the Association for Construction Career Development, the nonprofit that hosts the event.

The idea for a construction career day originated in Texas, according to Canizales. Now, it's in 23 states, she said. In Arizona, the event began with four primary partners still involved today: the National Guard, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona Department of Education, she said.

It's free for schools and students to attend, while exhibitors pay a fee, she said.

Since its inaugural year, the event's purpose has been to expose high school juniors and seniors to opportunities in the construction industry, said Dave Nelson, a retired civil engineer and one of the event's founders. He wants students to see that there are careers in the industry "they could do if they just took a look at it and tried a little bit of hands-on experience."

On Wednesday, there were many opportunities for students to get hands-on experience, even if just for a few minutes.

High school students tried using a concrete vibrator at Haydon Building Corp's tent and a metal inert gas welder at Vern Lewis Welding Supply's. They participated in a hammer and nail driving competition at McCarthy's. They finished concrete and assembled pipes at Wallcon's, laid bricks at Arizona Masonry Council's and used virtual reality goggles to learn about 3D building information modeling at Rosendin Electric's.

For Anthony Piña, 16, the career day was an opportunity to network and learn about the apprenticeship programs available after high school. He wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was an electrician, he said.

"One of the earliest memories I have of him was of him taking me to work and helping him out with those side jobs that he did on his own," Piña said. "So, ever since I was a kid, I've been interested and been involved in the electrical field."

He takes electrical wiring classes at Metro Tech, a school in the Phoenix Union High School District, and he heard about the career day from his teacher. He found at least two companies that he was interested in from the career day event, he said.

Piña's Metro Tech classmate, Jorge Reyna, 16, found an electrician training program from Central Arizona College and Wilson Electric that he is interested in applying to after high school. He was excited by the opportunity to take classes while working, as well as by the starting salary.

Usiel Garcia, 16, said the event was a "good opportunity for me to find out what path I'm going to take."

Companies look to recruit students for careers in construction

The event was an opportunity for the 70 exhibitors in attendance to recruit high school students into the construction industry.

Gov. Katie Hobbs said during a welcome speech that 37,000 new construction jobs are projected in the state by 2031, citing a figure from the Arizona Commerce Authority.

"It's clear that there is no shortage of opportunities for Arizonans to get involved in the construction workforce," Hobbs said. "What needs to be done now is connecting the people to the possibilities."

Canizales, the Association for Construction Career Development president, said that there aren't enough skilled workers to "fulfill the exodus of the baby boomers that are exiting" the industry, adding that students are the industry's "biggest resource."

By sharing information about apprenticeship training programs, for example, contractors are able to make connections that can help students "overcome their uncertainty of what they need to do to get into the trade," Nelson said.

At the Vern Lewis Welding Supply tent, Miah Lino, a marketing and events coordinator, told students about the welding classes they offer for all skill levels.

"It's something that will always be in demand," Lino said. "We need it for everything."

At the U.A. Local 469 tent, Gregg Turner shared information about the five-year Arizona Pipe Trades Apprenticeship program and the wages they could ultimately earn in the field.

"Most of us are making over $100,000 a year," he told students, who can apply to the apprenticeship program at 18 with a high school diploma.

Tyler Beddo, an assistant project manager for construction company McCarthy, said his goal was to tell students they can make a full career in the construction industry without going to college. At Haydon Building Corp., a sign boasted the company's starting pay — $20/hour — is higher than the starting pay at fast-food restaurants, chain pharmacies and big box stores.

Chad Constance, a division manager at Rosendin Electric, said that coming to the career day is an "important investment" in the construction industry's future leaders and workforce.

"We've seen kind of a need to backfill the younger generations of our workforce as some of our workforce enters the retirement age," he said.

Students seek opportunities in welding, management, trucking

Students at the event had a wide variety of interests.

Yaritza Barbosa, 17, attended with the West-MEC construction program, which she initially joined for fun. Representatives from West-MEC came to her class at Millenium High School to market the program, she said.

"I saw construction, and I was like, you know, whatever, I'll try it," she said.

But she ultimately "fell in love with all the trades," she said. "I really, really like it."

Now, she wants to become a construction project manager and hopes to attend Estrella Community College and Arizona State University to study construction management. That's inspired by her experience in class, where she's noticed herself taking the lead on projects. "I like seeing everything come together," she said.

A trucking company "really stood out" to Bernardino Medrano, 16, from Tonopah Valley High School. He's interested in trucking or becoming a diesel technician, he said, and was told by one company at career day that after he gets his commercial driver's license at 18, "they'll take you in with no experience, and they'll teach you."

Joana Lagunas, 17, from Wilson College Prep, said she's "really interested" in the different construction fields because no one in her family is in the industry. She's between welding and electrical, she said.

For Daniel Shade, 16, using the MIG welding tool at Vern Lewis Welding Supply's tent was an opportunity to practice a skill he's already honed. He wants to be an aerospace welder, a field he was first introduced to during his freshman year when he took a welding elective. Now a junior at Skyline High School, he's taken the welding class every year since, and he said he likes to build sculptures with a welder he has at home.

"You can take engine pistons and build little monsters out of them," he said. "I think it's a fun art."

Madeleine Parrish covers K-12 education. Reach her at mparrish@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @maddieparrish61.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona high school students explore construction careers at expo