Trades expo in Mankato looking to show students other options after high school

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) -

As these students near high school graduation...

Fairmont Senior, Krystal Paz says deciding what to pursue can be a difficult balancing act. “I’ve been looking into colleges right now I’m not sure exactly where I want to go yet. But I have a sister and she’s ready to go into the trades,” she explained.

With Paz’s sister being ready for the trades, this expo gave Paz an idea of what it could be like. She said, “It’s really nice that [trades employers] pay you to learn, not many colleges do that. I feel like that’s an opportunity that not many people can take and are willing to take.”

It’s new perspectives like this, Program Coordinator of Construct Tomorrow, Hailey Anunson wants to inspire.

“We are purely for education, and we want to plant that seed so that students know that there are other opportunities out there. They don’t have to go to a four-year college to be successful,” Anunson explained.

Student Aiden Bode already knows this is the route he wants to take.

Bode said, “My brother does it, I like the money, I like the benefits.”

But he also feels like those trades will be around for a long time. He said, “The buildings and the infrastructures aren’t going to build themselves.”

The Associated General Contractors of America reports 92 percent of firms struggle to find enough workers.

Anunson says we all need people in trades more often than we realize. “If we don’t have people continue to go into these trades, we’re in trouble. Because I can’t do my own electrical and plumbing and things like that,” she explained.

Anunson wrapped up by saying these trades will always be needed despite the growth of technology.

Click here to download the KEYC News Now app or our KEYC First Alert weather app.