The Associated General Contractors of Western Kentucky hosted 1,600 high school students at the Murray State University Cherry Expo Center for a career fair on Thursday morning.

More than 30 exhibitors attended, including construction companies, unions, and community partners.

The goal of the event is to connect students to employers and replenish the construction industry workforce, as the current workers are close to retiring.

The Associated General Contractors Executive Vice President Chris Nelson explained how severe the worker shortage is.

“We have a huge workforce shortage. Forty percent of everybody that’s working in construction nationwide right now is going to be gone in 10 years,” Nelson said. “Everybody’s desperate for workers right now.”

To close the gap in the workforce shortage, the AGC hosts construction career days like Thursday’s so companies can recruit students out of high school.

“The greatest value out of this too, not only just exposing the students to the career opportunities, but it really connects professionals in the industry to the instructors in these programs. So, where they can have direct hire right out of high school, and they know who to contact,” Nelson explained.

The career fair included companies that specialize in welding, iron workers, electricity, auto technology, and carpentry.

The students had the opportunity to use heavy equipment such as excavators.

“We want to do hands-on with them to show them this is what it really feels like if you go into a career like this,” Nelson said.

In light of the construction industry worker shortage, companies are increasing benefits and wages, making the career appealing to high school students.

“Most of these contractors, all the apprenticeship programs have pensions, health and welfare funds, free insurance,” Nelson said.

Many students who attended the career day take classes at the AGC of Western Kentucky’s Technical Centers. The programs allow students interested in trade careers to gain experience before graduation.

Logan Ramsey is a former Murray-Calloway technical student who studied machining and automotive technology. He began a full-time Think Big apprenticeship with Boyd CAT two weeks after graduating high school.

“I actually learned about the Think Big through the career fair last year,” Ramsey said.

He believes the AGC Construction Career Day helps students like him secure full-time positions.

“They connect kids with different companies that take interest in them, you know, a lot of these companies are looking for people that they can train,” Ramsey said.

He said a benefit of his job is that they completely pay for his schooling.

“I don’t have to pay for school. They’re paying for all of it,” Ramsey said.