Construction Career Center hosts Annual Construction Expo

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Can we build it? Yes we can!

 That’s the spirit behind the  Construction Career Expo. Hundreds of high school students filled the facility on Roanoke Avenue Thursday. 

Go Build Tennessee and AGC East Tennessee host the annual event.  

“The intent is to get these kids excited about careers in construction and to help them understand some of the skills and expectations that are expected in the industry,” said Leslie Gower, CEO of AGC. 

  The expo is geared toward 10th graders to get them interested in construction careers. 

 “It is important because There’s many business opportunities and many jobs that you can do,” Brycson Glenns, 10th grader at East Ridge High School. 

 At the expo, local construction companies engaged with students through interactive activities. 

 Hands-on demonstrations are a great way to learn. 

“I did a few things. So we started with some carpentry. We were gonna hammer some nails in cut some wood, and use a nail gun, put it on a board. They helped us, taught us how to do that. That was pretty fun. Afterwards, we laid some bricks for outside and worked on a few machines. It was pretty fun,” said Aiden Payne, 10th grader at East Ridge High School. 

 The Construction Career Center wants  to prepare students for life after High School. 

” I think it is important, because for students that want to try to do construction, I feel like this is the right place to go to and practice, and where people would accept you and take things slowly with you and just have a future ready for you, and a career that you want in the future,” said Johny Sanchez,10th grader at East Ridge High School.