BOISE, Idaho — Trade jobs are an important position to fill in the county, and the same goes for the Gem State. Over two days, Idaho organizations banded together and held an event to provide free training to spark students in a variety of trade positions.
From May 1 through May 2, students gathered at the Home Depot in Meridian and participated in the Construction Combine Trades Day. Event organizers called day one "Trades Day," which provided students with hands-on experience from different booths and contractors to learn framing, concrete, electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring and siding.
Day two was unique because students needed to apply the skills they learned during day one and construct 8X10 sheds, which were donated to local veterans chosen by the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce.
"Our hope and our focus for these types of events for the students is that they become aware of construction," Molly Johnson, director of workforce development at Idaho AGC, told KTVB. "We also want them to understand that they can go into a construction job directly out of high school without having to go to college, and it is a viable career."
Johnson emphasized that students who work in trades could possibly save enough money to purchase a home or start a business.
Students who participated in the training came from five different Treasure Valley areas and are currently in trade job programs, Johnson said.
The materials and event space were provided by the Home Depot Foundation. The organizations who held the event were the Idaho Associated General Contractors (AGC), Paul Davis Restoration of Idaho and ACE Mentor Idaho.
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