What’s Right With Our Schools: ACG Go Build Construction Career Expo

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – As our area grows, construction workers remain in high demand. Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee are working to meet that need. At their recent “Go Build Construction Career Expo” they gave 10th graders a hands-on look at the industry. That’s a brick-and-mortar example of “What’s Right With Our Schools.”

Steven Lewis is the Principal at the Construction Career Center.

He says, “Today is called our expo. And we have masons here, HVAC, plumbing, uh framers. Uh we’ve got just all kinds of different things where kids can come in and do hands-on work. Uh they can drive nails, cut boards. Nice. Lay block with the line. Got to stay out of the line though. Our masons are teaching the students how to lay block, lay brick, and so kids got to actually do the work.”

Zach McCabe works with Jenkins Masonry.

He says, “Just like we need teachers. Uh um we need construction workers. I mean we need people to build our uh schools. We need people to um build our libraries, build our hospitals and stuff. And uh you need to learn the right way to do it. And it’s a good career. It’s a good you can… uh it’s amazing uh driving by a place and saying, ‘Hey, I helped build that’.”

Steven Lewis continues, “They got to work through HVAC systems. And so the kids are getting a lot of hands-on today. got to ask uh business professionals questions and it’s been a great day for our students.”

Jalisa Estes is a sophomore at Tyner Academy.

She says, “Basically, what brought me here today was my administrator, Brandy, she had told me that we had a field trip today and I was like, I’ve been asking to get instruction school for a little while. So, she said I could come to field trip to see if I would like to be here. What we learned today, y’all, I watched the man fall. But he had to put the thing up there. They had a little joint thing on him. And then I learned about the air conditioning and how much they make and all the stuff they had to do. Plumbing when they got to use a camera if they’re outside and can’t see so much. And then I learned about nailing and filming with making a frame with the nails done and all that. And then I guess did the brick thing which was easy. I liked that one where you guys get got to slide the mud and stuff and now, we’re gonna go over there. Yeah.”

Steven Lewis adds, “We reach out to the 10th graders and invite them to come to this expo so they can see what we’re doing. So, it helps them make a more educated decision for their trajectory next year. We have found talking to our business partners, that there are a lot more people retiring than what’s going into the industry, and so, there’s a shortage in the industry. So, we’re training our kids to where they can step into those gaps.”

Jalisa Estes concludes, “I didn’t really know much about construction until I came today. And now that I actually know what’s going on, I think I might want to get into when I get out of college.”