SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – Many high school seniors are probably like Williamsville’s Bryson Trickey, asking what’s next as they prepare to graduate.
Tuesday, some of those students got a chance to get answers as the AFL-CIO hosted the eighth annual Central Illinois Building Trades Career Day fair at the BOS Center in Springfield as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
“It’s great to see a lot of future career options. There’s a lot of opportunities out there, and I’m able to talk to all these people who are in those career and have experience in those careers, so they definitely guide me and show me what I want to do and how I can do it,” Trickey said.
Andrae Richardson was one of the union members answering students’ questions. A member of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers, he believes events like Tuesday’s fair are key to showing the next generation they have options.
“I think these are very big for the community, for us as a whole as the nation, advising children and some parents and people who are not education to this degree. Knowing that with the trades, you can build a better life. You don’t have to go to college to be successful and you can learn right here in your own backyard and get a great wage at the end of the day,” Richardson said.
For Trickey, who’s looking at potentially becoming an electrician, not having to pay for a college degree is appealing, as well as the potential for stability and growth in a union job.
“Money is very important in this society. Money is definitely something you need to have, and I feel like if you get into the right union, get into the right job, you can build yourself a stable income and a stable career,” Trickey said. “And that’s what everybody wants. That’s what it comes down to, having a stable life.”
In total, between 1,200 and 1,500 junior high and high school students from more than 100 districts across central Illinois stopped by the fair Tuesday. They had the chance to meet with representatives from 14 different trades.
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