Hands-On Career Fair Helps Pave the Way for High School Students in Apprenticeship

Sacramento area high school students flooded Cal Expo on October 2nd for Trades Day–a dynamic hands-on-event hosted by the Construction Industry Education Foundation (CIEF).  Long lines formed as students engaged in fun activities ranging from creating a mock roof and wielding hand tools, to operating heavy machinery and constructing sheet metal toolboxes to take home. The expo also featured a resume station where students could get professional feedback from industry representatives.

Born from the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange, the CIEF aims to educate high school students on careers in the “built environment”. Trades Day exemplifies this mission by providing immersive experiences that introduce students to a wide variety of skilled trades.

The first CIEF Trades Day started in Sacramento a decade ago and has since expanded to 15 cities and other states including Oregon, New Mexico, Texas and Indiana. This past 2025 event was their largest to date, with 1700 students and 72 exhibitors participating—both union and non-union apprenticeships-participating.

For many exhibitors, the event represents a crucial recruitment and education opportunity. Susan Rodriguez, a field representative from Northern California Regional Carpenters Local 152, Manteca emphasized the value of face-to-face engagement: “We love coming to this event. They invite us out every year. It’s a great opportunity for us to connect with high school students and plant that seed. It gives us exposure and the ability to have a hands-on experience and fun with business”.

Theresa Perez, Director of Apprenticeships with the Plumbing-Heating-Colling Contractor (PHCC) Association, explained how the event provides the opportunity to present and explain the apprenticeship pathway: “It's important to us because we get students who are really interested in construction, but they don’t know which way to go.  We want to say there’s an ‘earn-while you-learn’ program, debt free, and employer sponsored. Then we go on your (DAS) website and show them the apprentice wage determination rates which is really interesting because students are trying to figure out if they want to get a head start on a program and enter a career”.

Organizations like CIEF help California youth envision a future with a sustainable career in the trades—bridging the gap between curiosity and opportunity, one hands-on-experience at a time.

Read more about the CIEF Foundation and upcoming events here: https://www.cie.foundation

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November 2025