4 minute read
The Next Generation: The Impact of Tampa Construction Career Days
BY CODY SMITH THE WYMAN COMPANY
Looking out at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, a once-empty field now was filled with construction vehicles and equipment as far as the eye could see: bulldozers, front loaders, backhoes, exca vators, graders and even lifts. Did a massive construction project kick off at these fair grounds? No.
This was Tampa Construction Career Days. And behind the wheels of these vehicles? High school students.
The Tampa Construction Career Days event, held this year on Feb. 20, is one of five annual Construction Career Days (CCD) events in Florida (others are held in Central Florida, South Florida, Northeast Florida and Northwest Florida, and the program is currently on hold because of COVID-19 and school suspension).
Every year, big players in Florida construc tion come together to organize the event to give high school students a field trip into their world. This year’s Tampa event hosted learning labs, equipment and vehicle demon strations and networking opportunities with dozens of companies.
“We originally realized there’s a need to connect adults interested in full-time work to making a career out of road and bridge con struction,” said Jill Cappadoro, Associate Vice President of Quest Corporation of America and a member of the Tampa Construction Ca reer Days Steering Committee.
“We also realized we needed to start to cre ate that pathway for students whom we really need to entice for the careers available,” Cap padoro said.
CCD works with both construction com panies and local school administration to co
ordinate exhibitors and attendees. A steering committee of roughly 20 industry leaders gather and solicit learning labs, rental equipment for equipment areas and career center booths.
Throughout the day, students and teachers met with company rep resentatives to learn about topics such as welding and excavating. The equipment area gave students the chance to operate and drive actual equipment and vehicles with proper supervision and guidance from experienced chaperones.
The goal of CCD is to expose students to the construction world and educate them on employment opportunities that don’t follow the tra ditional college or university route. CCD also offers scholarships for students who attend.
“The pros of working in construction include no student debt and more training opportunities,” said Amy Lee Diel, Program Manager for Quest Corporation of America and Project Manager with OnBoard4Jobs, Construction Careers Consultants. Lee Diel also explained the con struction industry extends to more than just operating heavy machinery and equipment. Students interested in technology, administrative work, science, math, engineering, landscaping, carpentry, painting and more also have routes to explore.
“There’s opportunities for every kind of child,” Lee Diel said. “Every passion comes into one to do a construction job. Gamers can help run machinery. Even kids who always use their phones can help with soft ware and technology.”
With the industry facing a shortage of new workers, events like CCD help find new recruits and incentivize them with a chance for a finan cially secure future.
“This event does a good job of showing there’s all kinds of opportuni ties with high-paying jobs,” said Dan Hart, Associate Principal at CPWG Engineering and Vice Chair of Tampa Construction Career Days. “[Stu dents] need to understand there are opportunities without going to college. Get on a team, get certified and stick with it, and the hard work will pay off.”
This year’s Tampa edition of Construction Career Days was organized by the Suncoast Utility Contractors Association, the Florida Depart ment of Transportation and the Florida Transportation Builders Association. The event started in 2014 with an estimated 400 students. Five years later, approximately 1,000 students attended, including students from new participating counties such as Polk.
Penny Danielecki, Chairman of Tampa Construction Career Days, said she has noticed more younger people entering construction as a result of CCD. Ultimately, Danielecki said she hopes for students to leave Construction Career Days with interest in future employment.
“The next step is to connect these students to employers,” Danielecki said. “[Students] can go back onto the Construction Career Days website and get in touch with our industry partners for careers. We reach out via email with companies hiring. If you are graduating high school and don’t have a career path, come talk to us.”
The event also has helped introduce the industry to more diverse eyes.
“We want to make sure our workforce is diverse and to really encour age women and people of color to look at opportunities,” Cappadoro said. “It’s not as much about brawn anymore. Now, our equipment and levels of technology are more about dexterity and being flexible and re silient.”
A story from Danielecki exemplifies the impact Tampa Construction Career day has on students.
“I had a young lady who got off a skid steer and said, ‘I can do this. I never thought I could do this.’ ”
For more information about Tampa Construction Career Days and other CCD events, visit CCD’s website at www.ccdfl.org.
About the Author
Cody Smith is a Managing Editor with The Wyman Company, publisher of Florida Transportation Builder magazine.
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