HONOLULU — Middle and high school students will get a firsthand look at career and educational opportunities in Hawaii’s construction industry at the 16th Annual Hawaii Construction Career Days event happening 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and 20 at Aloha Stadium.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is hosting this event as part of the workforce development efforts by Gov. Josh Green’s administration to prepare students for future careers.
“Our department is happy to give back to our community,” Director of the Department of Transportation Ed Sniffen said in a release. “Our young people will be able to see the wide range of jobs available in the construction field. This is a chance for us to reach out to our future leaders to keep Hawaii’s construction industry thriving and strong.”
“We would like to especially thank the Federal Highway Administration for funding this event, the corporate and union sponsors, and the many volunteers that spent a lot of time planning this event for the students,” Sniffen added.
Upon arrival, students will get a backpack equipped with personal protective equipment – a hard hat, safety goggles and earplugs – items necessary for safety as students make their way through the event. Under close supervision, they’ll be able to navigate and explore heavy-duty equipment such as an excavator, crane simulator, scissors lift and other specialized equipment.
In the “Trades” area, students will become familiar with and utilize hand tools associated with the various trades – carpentry, painting, electrician, laborer, sheet metal worker, mason, operating engineer, plumber and roofer. Representatives from these unions will be on hand to share information and answer questions.
The event will also offer booths with information on educational opportunities in the construction field and the opportunity to learn about career pathways from industry representatives.
Sarah Yamanaka covers news and events for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.