‘Build My Future’ gives local students a look at work world

Troy Tully got to operate a simulated welder and think about a career in welding. Kaylee Rockwell got to operate saws and other hand tools and think about a career in construction. Tate Martin got to climb a rope and think about a career as an arborist. Those three area students joined about 1,300 other […]

Troy Tully got to operate a simulated welder and think about a career in welding. Kaylee Rockwell got to operate saws and other hand tools and think about a career in construction. Tate Martin got to climb a rope and think about a career as an arborist. Those three area students joined about 1,300 other young people on Tuesday, April 8, for the “Build My Future” event at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island.

1 of 9

That event, presented by the Quad Cities Builders & Remodelers Association, gave the students a chance to get their hands dirty and explore a wide variety of career opportunities in the construction industry, medical field, contracting, HVAC/plumbing, electrical and many other professions. “These hands-on experiences can help eighth grade students decide on future high school classes and help freshmen, sophomores, and juniors gain more knowledge on possible career paths. This event is especially beneficial to high school seniors, so they can make better decisions about what their future may look like and possibly connect with businesses that are hiring,” according to information from “Build My Future” sponsors. On Tuesday, about 1,350 students from 40 area schools gathered in Rock Island. They were met with about 130 hands-on mentors representing more than 40 careers. One of the first students at the event was Tate Martin, 18, a senior at Maquoketa (Iowa) High School. He was the first student of the day to try a rope-climbing exercise showcasing some of the work that is done by arborists. The activity was part of the events presented by the Advantage Tree Services. “That was pretty cool. It was a lot harder than I thought,” the Maquoketa student said shortly after his climb. He added that, much like his first activity of the day, he is still up in the air about picking a career path after high school. Tate said he hoped to get some inspiration from the people at the career event. “I just want to look around and see what they have to offer today. … I’m still not decided on a career,” he added. A short distance from the rope-climbing exercise, another Maquoketa student, Troy Tulley, 18, was trying his hand on a welding simulator machine that John Deere featured at its table. He did well – scoring 95 out of possible 100 on the welding exercise. But, he was really interested in learning more about a carpentry career. “I want to learn more here. I want to see what they have,” said Troy, who is a senior. The “Build My Future” also attracted students who haven’t made it to high school yet. For instance, Kaylee Rockwell, 14, an area middle school student, was at the career exploration event getting hands-on experiences at different jobs. She cut glass at the Steve’s Mirror & Glass table, and cut a piece of lumber with a power saw at the Big Picture Construction & Design table. “I think it’s neat they have all this stuff here. It’s kind of fun to do,” Kaylee said, adding she is still exploring jobs for a potential career. Most of the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island was filled with representatives from companies in the trades. Some participants included the Electric Doctor, Petersen Plumbing & Heating, Mike’s Floorpro and Erdman Construction. But there also were plenty of companies on hand that are not often thought of in the trades fields. Some of them included Twin Rivers Cremation, RT Acupuncture, and the National Guard had a medical unit on site to tell the students about careers in the Guard and medical-related jobs. Also, real estate professional Mike Tanner of Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors was showing students how drones are used to show properties.  One of those students looking over the drones was Ethan Turner, 16, a sophomore at Sherrard (Illinois) High School. He showed up Tuesday looking at a possible career as a plumber, but decided to expand this career horizons by visiting Mr. Tanner’s table and many others. “I was looking at plumbing when I got here. But I’m looking at a bunch of other things now,” he said. Many of the company reps at the “Build My Future” event said that was one of the main points of the daylong gathering – let students know there are many different career options to pick from. “I hope all these students get some new ideas and see ideas of what they can be when they grow up,” said Liz Ehrecke, an employee of Amchor Lumber, and one of the volunteers at the event. Jerry Felshing of Steve’s Mirror & Glass of Bettendorf added that it’s also important local students know there are great careers available in the trades. And young people can get into those jobs without going to college and building up a big financial debt. “You know, college ain’t for everybody. For some kids  it is, but we want to show them they don't have to go to college to have a career in the trades,” he added. Many of the teachers accompanying the students to the “Build My Future” agreed. Several of them said they hope their students will see the many possibilities for careers. “During this day, I hope they all get a little experience with many of these things. I hope they try out a bunch of things that might interest them,” said Josh Hanken, a teacher at Maquoketa High School, who was with a group of 14 students.