ST. LOUIS, MO — ConstructReach, a construction industry workforce development initiative and consultancy, will host a three-day event, titled “Show Me Progress,” September 25-27 in St. Louis, Missouri. Hosted in ConstructReach’s headquarters city, the event will begin with an industry roundtable discussion on salient issues surrounding diversity, equity, and the trajectory of the industry. It will also feature ConstructReach’s signature “I built this!” (IBT) initiative, which will introduce local youth to sustainable career opportunities within construction and manufacturing. Through this event, ConstructReach seeks to promote collaboration between sectors to diversify the construction and manufacturing pipeline.

From 1-4 p.m. on September 25, roundtable attendees will discuss educating, exposing, and repositioning construction and manufacturing as a viable career choice and creating formalized pathways for the next generation to enter the industry. During this private event, stakeholders from throughout St. Louis will be able to hear directly from business leaders and community members about social responsibility models, the importance of DEI, and effective ways of engaging local youth for a promising future.

The following two days will be devoted to “I built this!,” to be held at the Marie Curie parking lot, located on Saint Louis University’s South Campus. The event invites hundreds of high school students aged 16-18 years from neighboring school districts to learn more about the construction and manufacturing industry and participate in hands-on activities related to carpentry, fixturing, design and technology, mechanical, and plumbing. Students will also be able to connect with general contractors and other industry professionals to discuss internships, career opportunities, and scholarships. Now in its fifth year, ConstructReach’s IBT initiative has been hosted in cities across the country.

Industry partners confirmed for the event include KAI Enterprises, International Code Council, and Target Corporation. School district partners include Saint Louis Public Schools, Rockwood School District, Normandy School District, and private school Kairos Academy.

“Our mission at ConstructReach is to increase the visibility of the construction industry by educating students about career opportunities, connecting general contractors to interns and innovative internship curriculum, and creating content, experiences, and a ConstructReach Community to expose diverse populations to construction careers,” said Paul Robinson, CEO and Founder of ConstructReach. “Over half of the construction workforce is over the age of 46 and will be retiring. ‘I built this!’ introduces diverse students to construction opportunities to work toward changing those statistics.”