Arizona high school students learn trades of construction on career day

PHOENIX - According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Labor, within the next decade, 60% of jobs will be related to construction, but the industry is struggling to find qualified workers.

Now, high school students are getting a look at jobs that don't require college, or racking up tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

"We have about 3,600 students from 120 different schools representing 12 of the 15 Arizona counties here to learn about careers in construction sciences," said Jim Knupp of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

Knupp says the event has been going strong for 17 years, and it's one way that Arizona is attempting to tackle workforce shortage.

Nowadays, the tight labor market has forced companies to offer new perks and paid apprenticeships that will lead to high-paying positions around Arizona.

"This is a national epidemic," said Krupp. "The construction industry is bursting at the seams across the country right now, so there's jobs that are not happening or are delayed solely because of the lack of resources to complete those or even start them. We're trying to be prepared to prevent this from happening five, 10 years down the road."

Some of the high school students we spoke to who attended the event said that they quickly realized a traditional four-year college might not be for them.

Exploring their options and rolling up their sleeves might just be the best way for these students to learn about a really bright future.