SAN ANGELO, Texas — For many young students, the transition from the classroom to the workforce is not always an easy one.
This is especially true when determining which career path to take. With so many choices, it can be a challenge to feel calm in the chaos of the decision-making process.
On Oct. 6, Hoar Construction hosted its first-ever Trade Days event at San Angelo's Shannon Medical Center, providing a space for West Texas high school seniors to learn about plumbing, electrical, construction and other similar job options.
"Nothing like this, in my experience, has ever happened so I love what I do and I work with a lot of guys that love what they do and just really wanted to show these kids the opportunities they have to go into construction and have a successful career," Hoar Construction project manager Garrett Wheat said.
A San Angelo native and Central High School graduate, Wheat wanted to provide the West Texas community with the opportunity to learn about the industry hands-on.
The event itself was the first of its kind and students gathered in a Shannon parking garage to listen to presentations from Hoar along with professional plumbers, electricians and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) workers.
Students were then split into groups to tour the third and fourth floors of the parking garage, comparing the various levels of progress from one floor to the next.
For Wheat, the main objective was simple: to provide a chance for learning where there wasn't quite one before.
"Yeah, it's no secret there's a labor shortage in this world and because of that, the opportunities for these kids are endless and I just don't know if that's ever really been told to them and talked about enough, something that we really need to get the word out to and show how successful a career can be in construction," he said. "And that's the goal today is to get these kids fired up about a possible career working in construction."
Event partners included Texas State Technical College, Howard College, the Texas Workforce Commission and the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce.
Going forward, Wheat hopes to increase the number of partnerships, turning his love of construction into an annual tradition meant to inspire the next generation of trade workers.