Despite inclement weather, over 500 high school students and counselors attended the event focused on skilled trades.
Elma, May 8, 2012 – Record rainfalls could not keep area high school students from focusing on future careers. Over 500 attendees at the 4th Annual Try-A-Trade event at the Regional Education and Training Center at Satsop experienced real world work demonstrations in the construction, manufacturing, and energy sectors. The annual Try-A-Trade event is part of an effort to support the variety of career pathways following students’ high school graduation.
“We’re always looking for our next generation of production workers,” said Derek Kerstetter of Brown-Minneapolis Tank, as he guided students on the daily operations of his company and showed them how to operate a 15-Ton Overhead crane.
This year, over 500 high school students, teachers and counselors representing 22 regional high schools from Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Thurston, Pierce, and Pacific counties attended the 4th Annual Try-A-Trade event. Tami St. Paul, Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Operating Engineers Training Trust commented on the large turnout despite the poor weather, “We in the construction trades are outdoor creatures. Skilled construction workers are dynamic – we work in a variety of environments and acclimate to changing conditions as necessary.”
Among the highlights of the exhibits were an 85-foot bucket truck from Grays Harbor Public Utility District, heavy machinery such as a backhoe and roller from Lakeside Industries, a bulldozer and excavator from Rognlin Construction, a live fire demonstration from Grays Harbor Fire District #5, an interactive exhibit on the Cowlitz River Project by Tacoma Power, and a tunnel boring machine from the Northwest Laborers – Employers Training Site at Satsop.
In addition, the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) sponsored a workshop for high school counselors to learn about apprenticeship pathways for their students and how these experiences can transfer directly to a college degree from Washington’s 34 state colleges. The integrated strategy to engage students and collaborate with counselors is a promising practice to fuel greater interest in advanced career opportunities, particularly in the skilled trades.
Ryan Davis, Executive Director of RETC at Satsop, expressed his gratitude to all those involved in the event: “We are very thankful for the sponsors and partners who supported this year’s Try-A-Trade event, especially Kiewit Corporation for their generous $10,000 sponsorship and the over 75 volunteers who invested their time to share knowledge and expertise with America’s next generation of skilled workers. The next generation of skilled workers will form the backbone of our economy and events like Try-A-Trade open doors for students to pursue not just jobs, but long term careers.”
The Regional Education and Training Center (RETC) at Satsop is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the workforce in the Pacific Mountain Region and beyond. RETC at Satsop works with private industry, educational institutions, government agencies, labor partners, and other community organizations to provide training opportunities on-site and through online learning opportunities
