This past Wednesday, The Boldt Company hosted the first event of its type: BuildX. BuildX was catered towards local 10th and 11th graders who had voiced an interest in entering the construction industry after graduating high school. Tweet/Garot, along with several industry unions, were invited to provide hands on experiences for the students. Several interactive stations showcased pipe fitting, virtual welding, carpentry work, masonry and much more. Nearly 100 students attended the event from four different high schools. As a part of the Tweet/Garot crew at BuildX, we saw firsthand the value an event of this sort provides a high schooler who isn’t quite set on what their career future is going to look like.

Given that a high school diploma is often required to be qualified for a job within the trades, it was quite unorthodox to have an event catered towards a younger group of high schoolers, however this event did a fantastic job creating interest at an earlier age than usual. Construction industry workers are in high demand and will continue to be into the future, so creating a baseline amount of information before some students have considered what to do after high school is a great solution for filling this necessity. The group of students who attended BuildX consisted strictly of those who were interested in a future in the construction industry, and this was very apparent in our interactions with them. The students were all very focused, engaged and extremely eager to participate in each station.

The hands-on element of each station was invaluable. Having attentive attendees elevates the value a career fair provides but adding the hands-on element that made BuildX unique provided an extra spark to a kid who already is passionate about the industry and working in the trades. This event wasn’t an excuse to get out of school for the day; this was an incredible learning experience that exposed interested students to a long, profitable career in the construction industry. Interactive events are extremely beneficial for continued industry growth in the future. Boldt did a fantastic job putting together an event like this and on behalf of the Tweet/Garot team, we look forward to future BuildX events.