In The News
Bay Area high school students get hands-on introduction to construction industry
Fox 13 Tampa Bay | By Aaron Mesmer
TAMPA – An estimated 1,000 high school students experienced a hands-on glimpse into the construction industry during Tampa Bay Construction Career Day at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds on Thursday.
During the event, students operated heavy machinery and learned about bridge construction, paving, concrete, traffic control, engineering, and more. They also got to learn firsthand about construction careers and interact with representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation, engineering companies, contractors and consultants involved in all aspects of the industry.
“This actually helps fill our pipeline up with the kids aware of what is available out there in the world,” said Dixie Lamoureux, who helped organize the event. “Not all guidance counselors know what there is to tell high school students about the construction industry. You know, there’s what you see. You see people on scaffolding with buildings, and you see people on the road, but you don’t see everything else in the background that goes with all of those different trades.”
Students traveled from Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Polk Counties to attend.
About 50 companies were represented at the event. Lamoureaux said, if the event gets any bigger next year, it’ll have to be expanded to two days.
