Department of Transportation

HILO – The sixth annual Hawaii Construction Career Days event took place today at the Hilo Civic Auditorium, providing nearly 900 students from 20 Big Island schools with career guidance from construction industry, trade and educational representatives.  Students also received hands-on experience with specialized heavy equipment and trade tools.The event gave students the opportunity to learn about various construction fields directly from industry and trade representatives.  Students were also able to operate heavy equipment, such as bulldozers, cranes, concrete mixers and backhoes, and to ask detailed questions about prospective careers.  For safety and added realism, each student was provided with a hard hat, safety goggles, earplugs and a back pack to wear as they circulated through the “Heavy Equipment” and “Trades” event areas.

Construction Career Days’ primary goals are to enhance career technology education, increase the diversity of the construction industry workforce and to better prepare high school and college students for careers in the construction industry.  Additionally, the event provides an opportunity for industry representatives to meet potential future employees.  Over 600 high school students attended the previous Big Island event in 2010.