Green Bay Trades Day shines a light on local skilled trade jobs
Career fair open to students, community members
GREEN BAY – On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Green Bay Area Public School District will host its first ever Trades Day event in the Southwest High School gymnasium.
The morning of the event will be open to current GBAPS students, but the career fair will open up to all community members from 12-1 p.m.
This collaborative event between City of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Construction Alliance and Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship aims to bring attention to trade careers for both students and adults in the community.
Fifty local companies will be present to participate, demonstrate the demand for workers and bring a wide variety of trades to showcase.
Construction, welding, electrical, plumbing and HVAC are just a few industries that are ready to highlight what they can offer.
Southwest High School Counselor, Amanda Millan said, “We’re also proud to welcome community partners who help remove barriers to employment. Programs like Highway Construction Skills Training through Forward Services offer six week training experiences that build both technical and interpersonal skills, key components of success in the trades.”
According to Millan, February is a crucial time for trade companies to look for and hire reliable workers.
“Many trade careers don’t require prior experience. Employers are often ready to train individuals who show commitment, reliability, and a willingness to learn,” Millan explained. “We want students and community members to understand that the trades are not just fallback options. These are in demand, high skill, high opportunity careers.”
Inspiration for this event came from Dan Webster from Walbec Group, who wanted to develop an event that shows off the vast opportunities of skilled trades and the certified apprenticeships available.
Millan explained that as seen on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction and extraction positions in the area pay $31.94 per hour on average.
From the same source, Wisconsin saw a 3.6% employment growth in the construction sector during this past year.
Green Bay Area Public School District’s plan is to turn this into an annual event throughout Brown County.
Millan said, “Whether someone is looking to enter the workforce immediately, make a career change or explore apprenticeships, the trades offer clear pathways, strong wages and long term stability. This event helps individuals meet employers face to face, ask questions and discover opportunities they may not have realized existed.”