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CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGE
High School Students from 16 States Advance to National Finale of First-Ever Construction Challenge
More than 1 Million New Jobs To Be Created in Construction Industry by 2012
Students Introduced to Construction Careers
 High-resolution photos available at www.constructionchallenge.org
Fifty-one teams of high school students have earned the chance to compete in the first-ever International Construction Challenge. They took part in one of the five regional Qualifying Rallies on Saturday, January 12, 2008 either in Milwaukee, WI, Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Glassboro, NJ, or Cincinnati, OH where they secured their spot in the Construction Challenge finale taking place at one of the world’s largest trade shows, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, March 11-15, 2008 in Las Vegas.
The teams are already preparing for the finale where they will compete for prizes and scholarships, get the chance to learn new skills and network with leaders from the construction industry.
“We were looking for a new way to reach young people, parents, teachers and counselors with the variety of career opportunities the construction industry has to offer. The Construction Challenge is a great way to share that information and to educate the public about the growing demand for skilled workers. We estimate that the construction industry will create more than 1 million new jobs by 2012 - and offer some great career choices for young people in school today,” said Al Cervero, senior vice president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the sponsor of the Challenge.
“At the same time that many of our employees are entering into retirement, our national infrastructure is in need of a dramatic face-lift that will require the creativity and hard work of some of our nation’s best and brightest,” he added.
The hands-on challenges, developed in partnership with Destination ImagiNation, Inc., spotlight creativity and problem solving. Teams went head-to-head with other teams in three events. A debate-style format focused on a serious discussion about infrastructure issues related to roads, bridges, and clean water. In a “road warrior” segment, teams designed and built a bridge, out of various household items, that had to hold up a radio-controlled car as it traveled across. In the third segment, teams developed an educational product to communicate about careers and equipment in the Construction industry.
Students who participated in the nationwide competition learned about rewarding, interesting and lucrative careers in the equipment manufacturing industry, which include thousands of companies
Manufacturing, selling or operating equipment. They also learn about the construction industry’s contributions to our quality of life, especially related to building and maintaining an adequate infrastructure.
“As we see frequently in the news, our country is facing an infrastructure problem. We have crumbling bridges, overcrowded roadways and aging water and wastewater systems. If we don’t address these issues adequately now, we will severely compromise safety and productivity. We cannot wait much longer,” Cervero added.
About AEM
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is the international trade and business development resource for companies that manufacture equipment, products and services used worldwide in the construction, agricultural, mining, forestry, and utility fields. For more information on AEM, visit www.aem.org. For more information on CONEXPO-CON/AGG, visit www.conexpoconagg.com.
About Destination ImagiNation, Inc.
Destination ImagiNation Inc., a 501 c3 non-profit organization based in Glassboro, NJ, provides numerous creative problem solving and critical thinking skills programs for people of all ages, from its Rising Stars program for ages 4-6, through its flagship programs for high school and middle school youth, to college-level challenges and corporate team building programs featuring creative problem solving for executives. For more, visit: www.destinationimagination.org.
Regional Rally Was Amazing!
By: Tina Harvey, co-director of the Cincinnati Construction Challenge Rally
It's nearly 11:00 and I am exhausted. What a day! I wanted to be the first to say WOW! Today was amazing! I can't say enough about it. The teams were amazing, the kids were fantastic, the adults great! I had not a single complaint about the day, the scores, the schedule, (only the pizza place, but even then people weren't mean about it!). How often does that happen?
The kids were gracious and so enthusiastic. The adults enjoyed it thoroughly. I was sought out by the students and adults expressing thanks. I received so many hugs from people I just met this morning! EVERY team said they would do it again and not only the advancing teams. I have teachers offering their schools as a site. The Road Warrior and the Educational Product were huge hits. A lot of these teams spent a lot of time on research for their DIalogue. The teams had a great time with them all.
AEM, THANK YOU! DI, THANK YOU! I am so happy that you allowed me to be a part of this. I was truly amazed all day. It was unchartered water and I am in awe. The students were THRILLED to be able to talk to the sponsors. They were much like our DI kids in their sense of spirit. If a team forgot safety goggles, another team would step up and check the schedules and share. If a hot glue gun broke, others came forward with theirs. Several of the teams that did not know each other before, spent time together.
AEM and DI, you spent a GREAT deal of time putting this all together and it was terrific.
Mo Guy shares from her experience at the Rally in Milwaukee
At the beginning of the Rally, AEM showed a new video about how every kind of job someone could want can be found in the infrastructure industry. A representative from AEM made a point of emphasizing this to the kids.
Later in the day, a group of teens were talking with the president of one company, standing at the company’s booth. All of the kids were enthusiastically asking questions about different jobs within the company…all except one.
One of the boys said something along the lines of how it’s too bad the company would not have the kind of job he wants. The president said, “Well, what kind of job do you want?” The young man said, “I want to be a pilot.” The president said, “Well, we have five airplanes. Our pilots fly our customers out to show them job sites and potential job sites. Our pilots are among the most important people in our company. And they not only know how to FLY our planes, they also know everything about how they’re built and how they work.”
The teenager said, “How can I get one of those jobs?”
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