The Construction Career Day event held April 13 in Riverview provided high school students with exposure to a wide variety of construction-related careers, including the operation of equipment. Mitch Traphagen photos.
Career day events generally don’t warrant ribbon cuttings. But big scissors, ribbons and construction all go well together. And so it was that representatives from the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce were on hand to welcome and open the Florida Construction Career Day held in Riverview on April 13. The event was designed to give area high school students a firsthand look at potential futures in the ever-evolving and rapidly growing construction industry.
“We were absolutely thrilled to have this event taking place here in Riverview,” said Debbie Kirkland of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce. “No doubt, with the construction boom in our area, this is a great location to educate our upcoming graduates about the diverse possibilities of a career in the construction industry.
“Many thanks to the team at Suncoast Utility Contractors Association (SUCA) for taking on this challenge and for including Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) in their successful day,” Kirkland said. “We look forward to seeing many of these companies at work in Riverview and becoming part of our GRCC family.”
The construction industry is often referred to with terms such as “shovel-ready jobs.” Today, however, those shovels are increasingly based on technology. The equipment used to design, plan and actually construct is far more advanced than such terms would indicate.
“The Florida Department of Transportation values the relationship with our contractors in the industry,” said Bill Jones, District Seven Construction engineer for the DOT, “and Construction Career Day is a great opportunity for us to partner with them on a common goal to increase exposure to the construction industry, particularly road and bridge construction in the Tampa Bay area, in the hopes that it will attract individuals interested in current employment as well as in future opportunities.”
According to SUCA chairman Thomas Butler, Tampa Bay’s construction industry is surging in both the public and private sectors and there are not enough qualified candidates to fill the current needs, let alone the expected increased future needs.
“This problem will only get worse if we don’t start bringing in the younger generation into our workforce,” he said.
The event, held on Rhodine Drive in Riverview, offered high school students of both genders the opportunity to participate in a wide array of construction-related activities, including the operation of some heavy machinery. The event also involved activities and information about simulating bridge design, asphalt paving operations, concrete mixing, traffic safety, as well as seminars on personal financial management.
“This is a great event and we are excited to participate,” said Jim Goyer, vice president of Skanska, a global construction group with deep ties in the Tampa Bay area. “By exposing high school students to our industry, we hope to educate them on the many diverse careers that exist within the construction business.”
Several hundred high school students attended the event.
