On Thursday, February 6, more than 1,000 fifth through eighth graders came to Milwaukee Tool for the second annual Kids Building Wisconsin – Waukesha Expo.
Students gained exposure to career opportunities in the construction industry through interactive activities run by forty different construction and skilled trades companies. Activities included: working in a mock demolition room, building a structure to withstand an earthquake, following plans for electrical lines to make a light bulb light up, unclogging pipes connected to a plumbing system, seeing the inner workings of a thermostat and more.
Kids Building Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization that has hosted this event in Madison for the past six years. In partnership with the Waukesha County Business Alliance and Milwaukee Tool, this is the second Kids Building Wisconsin program in Waukesha County.
The construction/skilled trades industry was hit particularly hard in terms of labor during the Great Recession, and its workforce is not bouncing back as quickly as other industries. The lack of labor drives up construction costs, which in turn raises the prices of homes, commercial buildings, repair services and more.
The Alliance is working to show middle school students that the construction/skilled trades industry has many fulfilling, stable, high-paying jobs to consider.
Thank you to to all of our sponsors, vendors and schools who made this event possible.
Click here to see coverage from Fox6 News. Click here to view a recap video put together by Merton Intermediate School.
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