Photos | High school students check out career pathways in trades
More than 400 Humboldt County high school juniors and seniors rotated through hands-on activities at Trades Day, an industry‑backed event designed to show teens the breadth of local careers available in a variety of skilled trades. Students approached booths that interested them at the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds, trying out equipment, meeting employers and gaining knowledge of the myriad opportunities in the skilled trade industry.
The event was hosted by Humboldt Builders Exchange in partnership with the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE), to bring together 43 booths representing trades from welding and heavy equipment to plumbing and fire prevention. Jada Brotman, with the Humboldt Builders Exchange, said the event grew out of a local workforce gap.
"Three years ago, Pat Hooven, the owner of Hooven Construction, and Jack Shepherd from Humboldt County Office of Education thought, ‘Oh my God, there aren't enough young people coming to the trades. We have all these unopened jobs. What are we gonna do?' " said Brotman.
The Builders Exchange and HCOE work directly with schools and counselors to identify students interested in skilled trade careers. Jack Shepphard and Anne Marie Gildersleeve from the Humboldt County Office of Education reach out to all the schools and guidance counselors to invite kids who are interested in trade careers.
"The guiding principle behind this is to show kids the huge variety of options for job training that there are," said Brotman. "A lot of them can just go straight out of high school with a diploma and get a job starting at $35 an hour, which I did not know when I was in high school."
At the Oregon State University College of Forestry booth, staff demonstrated how to operate forestry equipment using high-tech simulators that the university uses to train both students and working equipment operators.
"We use our simulators to encourage young people to have an interest in forestry," a representative said. "For students who are already in the undergraduate pipeline, we can teach forestry concepts using these … and for experienced equipment operators, they can make mistakes in a risk‑reduced environment without damaging equipment or the stand."
Cal Fire also participated in the event, highlighting the range of careers available beyond firefighting.
"We're just here to support our students in our community and show them what opportunities there are within Cal Fire," said fire prevention specialist Connie Ward. "It's more than just firefighters. We have all sorts of other job opportunities available, anything from the office to out in the field, depending on what you're interested in."
The fairgrounds were bustling with students exploring the variety of booths. Many students carried bright ‘construction' colored orange bags that they filled with the gifts and informational packets from the Trades Day booths. Several local companies that participated stepped up financially and donated items to help with the success of the event.
"Everyone has been very generous, so that covers the cost of the event," said Brotman. "Anything that's left over goes into the Humboldt Builders Exchange scholarships, which support students pursuing everything from electrician certification at College of the Redwoods to engineering degrees."
Scholarship applications through the Humboldt Builders Exchange remain open until May 1.
Maranda Vargas can be reached at (707) 441-0504
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