The deadline is approaching for Springfield area high schools to register for the fifth annual Build My Future event at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds E*Plex. Hands-on activities will fill the east and west halls as well as the grandstand to showcase the construction, design, and trade industry. High schools must contact Megan Short at the Springfield Contractors Association by Saturday, Feb. 17.
The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 27. In previous years, students have been able to test-drive a variety of careers in engineering, labor and more. That could include working with concrete forms, lifts, civil engineering models, bricklaying, welding labs, and more.
“There are 70 to 90 different activities,” Short said. “Even as simple as using a hammer and nails, because some students have never done that. So there is a huge range of different technical skills.”
The event will feature several recruiters from the construction industry for high-school students to make connections and seek jobs after graduation. According to a press release, the need for new workers coupled with the retirement of baby boomers has led to an increased urgency for recruiting new workers into the industry.