APPLETON (WLUK) — More than 200 Appleton-area high school students traded their sinking caps for helmets Monday as part of a career showcase sponsored by Miron Construction.
Students from Appleton East High School, Appleton North High School, and Appleton Technical Academy were invited to participate and gain practical experience and knowledge about the various careers available in the construction and skilled trades industries.
Throughout the event, students rotated through four stations: virtual architecture, masonry, carpentry, and surveying. The Appleton East expansion and renovation site served as their learning lab.
“Our hope today is that our students experience a viable career path in the construction industry and find a rewarding career through a registered apprenticeship process, allowing them to dive right into their career and learn after graduation. ‘And that’s right here in the Fox Cities community,’ explained Dawn Grenzer Stumpf, Education Engagement Manager at Miron Construction.
Grenzer-Stumpf said such events are aimed at educating students, but also serve as a recruitment tool for the construction industry, which desperately needs a new generation of workers.
Many of our people are reaching retirement age and there is a gap. I believe there is a statistic – out of three individuals, only one will take their place.
Peyton Nichols was one of the students who participated in Monday’s program. The son of a construction worker, he said he knew from an early age that he wanted to be in the industry.
“I just love it. All in all, this is a great opportunity,” Nichols said. “It’s always been kind of what I wanted to do and what I was interested in. It’s just where I want to go and what I want to do.”
As a young carpenter apprentice with Miron Construction, John Jorgensen, a third-year student at Appleton East College, was given a unique opportunity to help renovate his school.
“I wake up every day looking forward to going to work and being able to say to my kids in the future, ‘Oh yeah, I built a high school,'” Jorgensen said.
On Monday, he was there to teach his fellow students and share his experience.
Jorgensen added, “I have some friends who came on field trips today and I’m like, ‘Hey, this is my job.’ It’s really nice to see their reactions.”
Click here to learn more about career opportunities at Miron Construction.
