Michigan Construction Career Days Showcases Hands-On Industry for Students Statewide

HOWELL, Mich. – The thundering sound of jackhammers, the buzz of welding torches, the groan of heavy equipment—it could only mean one thing: Michigan Construction Career Days (MICCD) was back. Now in its 17th year, the 2025 edition of the event welcomed thousands of students from 104 schools across the state to the Operating Engineers 324 Construction Career Center in Howell, April 30 and May 1.

Organized by the Michigan Apprenticeship Steering Committee, Inc. (MASCI), MICCD gives students the chance to explore real-world careers in Michigan’s construction industry—from unionized skilled trades to collegiate programs in construction management and engineering, to public-sector opportunities like those with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

This year’s event was the largest yet, featuring over 80 participating sponsors and for the first time, took place largely inside OE324’s brand-new indoor training arena. Spanning more than 90,000 square feet and standing 80 feet high, the arena allowed students to safely experience hands-on construction activities in a controlled environment while seamlessly connecting to OE324’s sprawling 560-acre training campus.

Building Futures—One Student at a Time

“This event opens a lot of doors. Just a lot of opportunity here—you can get a lot of connections,” said Drew Lacko, a senior from Grand Lake High School. “Even in any field you go in, it’s kind of who you know and not what you know.”

Those connections were on full display throughout the indoor and outdoor exhibits, where students tried everything from climbing a steel beam with Ironworkers, operating cranes and excavators, driving nails and finishing concrete, to exploring welding simulators, electrical panels, bricklaying, and more. They also engaged with employers, apprentices, colleges, and agencies, learning about career pathways that often don’t require a traditional four-year degree.

“Michigan Construction Career Days is about linking kids with opportunities to debt-free careers,” said Brad Pierce, outreach specialist for Ironworkers Local 25. “College is great, but not everybody’s going to college. You want to work with your hands. You want to see the pride of your labor? Come join a union apprenticeship program.”

Reaching the Next Generation

That message resonated with students like Brooke Wilson, a sophomore at Milan High School. “It’s really good because a lot of people don’t know what they’re gonna do in life, and so bringing opportunities like this is really good for them,” she said. After trying her hand at operating construction equipment, she added, “I have fun digging and stuff, so I’ve really been thinking about it.”

Josh Graves, Director of Workforce Development for the Associated General Contractors of Michigan, emphasized the importance of such outreach: “This event is really everything that’s great about construction. When you look around, there are so many different people here. It shows who we are as an industry—we get things done by coming together, by collaborating and by working together.”

He also noted the urgent need for new workers: “We hear a lot about the ‘silver tsunami’—a very large percentage of our construction workforce is going to be leaving our industry within the next five to 10 years. There’s a huge need for the next generation to come up and fill those positions.”

A Broader Industry, A Bigger Event

While the hands-on displays leaned heavily into skilled trades, the broader construction ecosystem was also represented. Students could speak with colleges offering construction-related degrees, learn about engineering roles, or meet with government agencies like MDOT to explore careers in infrastructure development and project management.

“Students don’t know how much technology there is in construction,” said Andrea Alvarez, Director of Workforce Development at Fessler and Bowman. “They don’t know all the different career paths. Once you get them interested, they’re curious. They want to know more.”

Frank Hines, Outreach Coordinator for the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, summed up the importance of casting a wide net. “It’s important to bring the next generation in, to keep the industry growing and striving for the future,” he said. “Just in the last two days, I spoke to over 200 students who are enthused about getting into not only the Carpenters, but the other trades as well.”

A Site Built for Success

The event was hosted by Operating Engineers 324 at their state-of-the-art Construction Career Center in Howell, which now features the massive new arena and mechanic shop bay.

“We have a 100,000 square foot facility, including this indoor arena that we’re in right now,” said John Hartwell, Career and Outreach Representative for OE324. “To be able to run 4,200 students through here in two days, have them interact directly with our members and contractors—it’s a real game-changer.”

Hartwell noted the improvements brought by the new space: “The added space allows bigger displays, more hands-on experiences, and better interaction with the students. We don’t have to shuttle them between areas—they can walk right through the arena and into the equipment zone.”

Educators Applaud the Impact

For many teachers and administrators, MICCD has become an essential part of their educational programming. Mike Zielinski, a building trades teacher at Heartland High School, brings students every year.

“I think this event’s great. It’s a lot of fun. The kids look forward to it,” he said. “There’s a bunch of different trades they can try out to get some spark—things I can’t do in the classroom.”

He added that events like MICCD help shift student thinking: “In the last couple years, I think it’s blown up more that they’re not pushing college for everyone. You can skip the college aspect and go in and make money right away and be loan-free.”

Jerry Dyson, Assistant Principal at Sand Creek Jr/Sr High School, agreed. “We’ve seen a change over the last ten years, absolutely, in the attitudes. Especially from teachers—we don’t have the mindset anymore that there is only one option.”

Building America’s Future—One Student at a Time

Jared Davis, Principal of Randolph Career and Technical Center in Detroit, said MICCD perfectly aligns with his school’s mission: “Our mantra is we build America’s future one student at a time at Randolph. An event like today is a great opportunity for our students to actually reach out and touch some of the skilled trades they’ve been hearing so much about.”

He stressed the importance of access and awareness: “We can’t expose them enough to companies, to organizations in all of these fields, because you all need employees for the future, and we need kids who are serious about going into this line of work.”

For companies like Ajax Paving Industries, that exposure pays off. “My favorite part is watching a student’s eyes light up when they see something they had no idea they were even able to do,” said HR Manager Christina O’Brien. “Infrastructure is always going to be that stability… to take care of what we got here at home.”

As for future construction careers? Students like Aiden Schram of Carlson High School are ready. “Since I was a little kid, I’ve been interested in construction,” he said. “My whole family’s in it… I just like picking stuff up. I’ve always been fascinated with cranes. I want to be a crane operator.”

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For more information about Michigan Construction Career Days or to get involved next year, visit www.michiganccd.com