GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — An estimated 1,000 Brown County students explored skilled trades careers Tuesday at the second annual "Build My Future" event — about double the attendance from last year.
The hands-on career fair hosted by the Brown County Home Builders Association on the campus of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College featured more than 100 careers represented by professionals, putting students in the driver's seat.
"Maybe this could be, like, one of my future jobs, and I could work one of these machines," seventh-grade student Emmitt Rodewald said.
Rodewald is a member of his school's tech ed club and was already thinking about a career in the trades before attending the event.
The event's hands-on activities appealed to Rodewald and to others who hadn't yet considered a technical skills career.
Sarah Scharenbrock, an admissions manager at NWTC, said the fair engaged students with job pathways where young workers are needed.
"The more skilled individuals we have out there, as all of our boomers are retiring and leaving, the more our community will literally continue to run," explained Scharenbrock. "This is a community initiative."
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Dirk Bartolazzi says for every 5 retirees in the trades, only 2 or 3 young workers are replacing them.
"There's a need for skilled workers," Bartolazzi emphasized.
Rodewald said meeting professionals at the event left an impression.
"It's cool," noted Rodewald. "Maybe you [the students in attendance] can work with them one day."
