About 1,000 students from 31 schools explored careers in the skilled construction trades during the 26th annual Metro Construction Career Expo, held Oct. 19-22 at the Belle-Clair Fairgrounds in Belleville.
The four-day event was sponsored by the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) and the Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program (SICAP). It gave students hands-on activities representing 11 construction trades and showed them apprenticeship programs that offer paid training, wages and benefits without college debt.
"The purpose of this event is to raise awareness that careers in construction are a viable option for these students," said Donna Richter, SIBA CEO. "And every year, there's more and more interest."
Hands-on experience
Students interacted directly with union professionals, including Carpenters, Electricians, Cement Masons & Plasterers, Sheet Metal Workers, Boilermakers, Painters, Ironworkers, Laborers, Bricklayers, Plumbers/Pipefitters/Gasfitters and Steamfitters. Attendees also used 3-to-5-minute virtual reality simulations to test their skills in steel working, solar installation, overpass demolition and roofing.
The debt-free advantage
A central focus of the expo was educating students and parents about the financial advantages of union apprenticeships compared with traditional higher education. The release said the average four-year college graduate leaves school with over $38,000 in student debt, while union apprentices start earning average paychecks of $25 per hour from week one and graduate debt-free with potential earnings exceeding $220,000 over the course of their training.
"If they get into an apprenticeship program, there's no debt. The unions pay for the books, they pay for the tools, they pay for the training," Richter said. "And keep in mind that all of these construction trades also have health, welfare, and pension paid for by the employer."
Filling the workforce
Organizers said the expo comes as the construction industry seeks to fill positions left by retiring workers across Southern Illinois and the greater St. Louis region.
"There's a lot of positions that are open in the various trades," Richter said. "A lot of these tradesmen and women are getting to the point that they're retiring, and so we need to get the younger generation involved."
"Hard work and being able to get the job done, the people you work with and that sense of capability and confidence that comes with it," said Ryleigh Jones, a Laborers' Apprentice. "Just being able to look at a building and say, 'I built that.'"
How to learn more
Students, parents or individuals interested in exploring apprenticeship programs and construction career pathways can contact SIBA at 618-624-9055, email CEO@siba-agc.org or visit SIBA-AGC.org. Video of the 2026 expo is available at youtu.be/s07mcI52jFY.
Source: the original release