FEATURE | CCA Construction Career Expo
Trotter and Morton teaches students about specialty piping as they take the pipes apart and put them back together.
Harris Rebar partnered with Ironworkers Local 725 to give students an opportunity to build rebar cages at their exhibit.
Dwayne Wallace of United Decorating guides a student as students learn the ropes of rolling paint at the Master Painters and Decorators Association of Alberta exhibit.
The Siding Contractors Association of Alberta makes their exhibit fun and personalized by having students write their names on the siding material.
hidden inside the box. The latter group’s job was to wait for instruction from the other team about how to construct the structure so the students had to learn (quickly) how to effectively and efficiently communicate with one another. The exercise facilitators from Westcor witnessed the students use various communication methods, such as taking turns with instructions, or using iPhones to take pictures and text. There were no rules on how to communicate, but it was timed to determine how effective the students were at getting the job done right and as quickly as possible. This provided an opportunity for students to see the importance of collaboration on a group project. Another booth that captured the at-
tention of the students was the virtual spray-painting activity hosted by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Students put on a special head piece with glasses and held a virtual spray-paint gun to experience the simulation of painting. All the booths at the expo were extremely diverse, with a variety of construction trades being represented. One of the highlights was BURNCO Rock Products, which brought a concrete truck to the expo and had students experience pouring concrete. The Spalding Hardware Systems booth allowed students to try their hand at connecting and opening different circuits, while the Masonry Contractors Association mentored students in the art of bricklaying.
A popular activity that takes place every year at the expo is the building of six dog houses on-site, sponsored by the Calgary General Contractors Association. Pierre Champness of CANA Construction led the group of approximately 16 individuals this year. Champness and his team constructed a dog house that was displayed as the model for the students at the expo. The students got to experience carpentry and building firsthand. Not only did the students have fun and learn a lot during this activity, but six new dog houses came out of it. Following the expo, the dog houses were delivered to the Cochrane Humane Society to be donated to dogs in the Morley area that were in desperate need of new homes.
The CONSTRUCTOR 2015
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