MULVANE, Kan. (KWCH) — The sound of hammers, drills, saws and other tools filled the Kansas Star Arena and Event Center on Wednesday as the Wichita Area Builders Association held its Build My Future event.
The event gave nearly 1,500 area high school students hands-on experience in the skilled construction trades, including drywalling, installation, plumbing and HVAC. The goal is to inspire the next generation of builders.
“Housing affordability and attainability is a big topic right now, especially as we have an election coming up,” said Tyler York, president and CEO of WABA. “Labor shortages play a direct role in the pricing of new homes being built right now. If businesses don’t have enough members on their team, that creates a slowdown in the amount of stock that we are able to build in the Wichita market. So this event (is) trying to make an impact on that, try to connect potential employees with employers and fill those jobs.”…