Attracting K-12 Students to the Construction Workforce through an Interactive Career Expo

Abstract

The workforce shortage has become a critical issue in the construction industry in the United States, and many people believe that the shortage will be prevalent for years. The main reasons for the construction workforce shortage are the aging workforce and a lack of interest from young people in joining the industry. As educators in construction, we need to actively participate in events that provide opportunities to interact with children and young adults so that we can provide them with information about career opportunities in the construction industry and boost the image of the construction industry. Research studies show that kids start to make career choices when they are in 8th or 9th grade. Boosting awareness of construction career possibilities for kids in that age group is an important effort to attract young talent to the construction field. This paper describes an effort to provide early construction career exposure opportunities to K-12 students through an interactive career expo organized by a local non-profit organization.