Jobs in the skilled trades, like welding or carpentry, are in high demand. And on Wednesday, more than 1,000 area high school students got a first-hand look at the world of construction.
"The trades, a lot of the students aren't being taught this anymore. So the need for these jobs is huge right now," said Steve Cady, HVAC Instructor at Alfred State College.
At the 13th annual Constrcution Career Day, sophomore Janette Grizer stood under the welding tent, dressed in protective gear.
This was not Grizer's first time cutting a sheet of metal, she said she actually did this once before, as part of a competition.
Grizer had her first hands-on welding experience with a classmate.
"We were in the same class, the only two girls in class," she said. "It was really scary at first, we didn't know what we were doing. And then we tried it one day and we thought it was really fun."
They both decided to take on the challenge and opt for a career in welding.
Learning a skilled trade and going to school for it specifically is something that seems more appealing to students now, rather than going through the traditional college route.
Rachel Nickerson, who is a junior, had also made a decision about her future: she wants a hands-on job in skilled trades as well.
"We really need to start getting the word out about about everything they're doing here and all the opportunities," she said. "Because so many people are in debt from college where there are so many other things that you can do. And it's a just a huge - it's a broad field and it's just endless."
Forty area schools are taking part in Construction Career Day, which continues Thursday.
