Construction Career Day recently at Rockland Community College drew more than 750 students from Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties. Although the market for the trades has slowed, organizers hewed to historic enthusiastic attitudes when introducing skills to the carpenters, tapers, plumbers and electricians of tomorrow.
Instructors and seasoned journeymen from more than 25 trades gave students an opportunity to tape sheetrock, build a brick wall, use a backhoe and watch electricians at work.
“This is not your ordinary career day,” said Matthew Pepe, director of government relations for the Construction Industry Council, which helps organize the yearly event at the SUNY Rockland”™s field house. “This is a hands-on opportunity for students to see if a job in the construction industry is something they”™d like to pursue. Many of them left with an application to become an apprentice, and we expect to see some of them come back after high school graduation.”
As for the recession: “It doesn”™t mean that interest in construction work has waned among graduating students,” he said.
The industry may be at an all-time low, said Pepe, but spirits are not. “Granted, this is the worst I”™ve experienced since I”™ve been involved in the business, but many of my elders say they can”™t recall a worse time for the trades. Still, we all have hope that the economy will recover and that builders and developers will start up projects once again. It”™s a tough time for everyone, but we can”™t give up hope, especially when we see how much these careers mean to students.”
