Robin Wood, Co-chair and Human Resource Director at Reed & Reed, said, “We are thrilled to bring this event back for our second year. This is the platform our Chapter uses to raise funds to award scholarships to deserving Maine students entering a construction related field. Our goal is to expose Maine high school students to possible career paths in both the construction and transportation industries and this event hits on all cylinders.”
NAWIC Maine Chapter 276 has a desire to help address the labor shortage challenges that have been prevalent in the construction industry. This event was born from that desire with the goal of this event to begin to build an awareness of the construction industry as a viable option for a career path right out of high school. Wood said, “There is a similar event in New Hampshire and that has been a huge success for many years. It did not take much for us to realize we needed to bring this to Maine.”
Maine Construction Career Days is a hands-on experience and includes exhibitors and educational resources from across the state. It will be attended by construction companies, school districts, state agencies, labor unions, and trade and professional organizations.
Bethany Martin, Co-Chair, and Contracts Manager for Standard Waterproofing stated, “This collaborative event provides students with an introduction to various aspects of construction. Students will get an opportunity to operate a mini excavator or skid steer and actually move dirt around, steer a boom lift, operate a 50-ton hydraulic crane, use a welding torch in a hands-on welding tent or a virtual welding simulator.”
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For those students up to the challenge, there is an engineering bridge building contest. There will be a Girls Can Too Challenge designed to get female student participation as well. Both challenges give the students a chance to win amazing prizes.
There will also be information regarding apprenticeship opportunities in the construction and transportation sectors. Last year over 600 students and 45 vendors participated in the event. This year registration is open to 800-plus students and over 80 vendors with a multitude of opportunities for hands-on experiences.
Registering for the event is easy. “We have streamlined the registration process for exhibitors and schools by offering on-line registration,” said Martin. “A new marketing and public relations effort has been designed to attract a larger audience, and there will be more opportunities for sponsorship to support the NAWIC Maine Chapter’s scholarship program.”
NAWIC Maine 276 remains committed to its alliance with Associated General Contractors of Maine. The two groups share a strong partnership and support this event together. AGC has been instrumental in the marketing of this event and their pre-apprentice and apprentice programs will be a highlight for them this year.
NAWIC Maine 276 has also forged new alliances with other industry associations that share a similar vision and passion for the future of our construction industry in Maine. NAWIC Maine 276 urges anyone involved in the construction industry to register for the Maine Construction Career Days now. The event is expected to sell out.
For more information on the event, email MCCD@NAWICMaine.org or visit NAWICMaine.org.
