ABC Carolinas Deems Trades Day-Charlotte a Success
For the third consecutive year, ABC Carolinas Chapter partnered with the ACE Mentor Program of Charlotte to bring Trades Day to Charlotte area students. The ACE (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) Trades Day – now 10-years-old – introduces high school students to various construction trades through demonstrations and hands-on activities provided by local contractors and vendors. Trades Day is used to educate students about immediate trade opportunities and benefits – careers they can enter directly after graduating high school.
Joining ABC Carolinas were longtime ACE Mentor Trades Day partners Central Piedmont Community College and The ROC. The March 30, 2023 event was deemed successful by all accounts with nearly 30 participating vendors – primarily ABC members – introducing their respective trade specialties to more than 400 students and teachers from 18 area high schools. For example, Hoopa Grading brought a site grading equipment simulator and the McGee Brothers brought masonry materials for students to practice laying bricks and blocks.
According to ACE Charlotte Chair Mellissa Oliver, Land Planning & Entitlement Manager with PulteGroup Charlotte, the local Trades Day vendor has participation quadrupled since ABC Carolinas joined the partnership, exposing high school students to more trades than ever.
About 50 volunteers recruited by ACE Charlotte (a volunteer-based organization) and CPCC, helped make this year’s event run smoothly. The annual ACE Trades Day Charlotte event takes place at CPCC’s Harper Campus, which has state-of-the-art facilities suited specifically for trades.
Event sponsors included Lowe’s Companies, Inc., DPR Construction, A M King, and StanleyBlack&Decker, Inc. Lowe’s and StanleyBlack&Decker together donated $1,000 worth of raffle items. Goggles and gloves were donated by A M King and DPR, while Duncan Parnell donated signage. StanleyBlack&Decker provided food and other needs through a $5,000 grant designated for ACE Trades Day.
Why consider a career in construction?
Sara Breeggemann, Director of Workforce Development for ABC Carolinas, noted “The growth that we’ve seen in ACE Trades Day over the years is a testament to the interest levels of students about the construction industry. This event is one of our biggest impacts for getting information out to show students how sustainable a career in construction can be. We want students to recognize that construction truly is a career, not just a job.”
Check out the short video ABC Carolinas produced produced to encourage parents and students to check out Trades Day 2023. Watch video.
Representative Photos from Trades Day
