More than 700 people attended PowerForward DuPage’s Trade Apprenticeship Expo on Thursday at the IBEW Local 701 union hall, 28600 Bella Vista Parkway Suite 1000 in Warrenville.
The event featured over a dozen of DuPage County’s union construction building trade affiliates.
“A few years ago, we recognized that really the exposure to what the building trades are and how to look into applying for the different apprenticeship programs, that was really lacking,” said Charvat. “So we came up with this idea to invite all the trade affiliates to come into our building… and invite in high school students, recent college graduates, residents, parents, educators, career counselors, really just to kind of educate everyone.”
Along with providing information about the ins and outs of their profession, “Several of the trade affiliates here today do offer so hands-on activities,” Charvat said. “The bricklayers being one, the cement masons being another.”
20% attendance increase at trade expo
Charvat said local interest in trade careers has “certainly grown” since her organization first hosted the apprenticeship expo in 2018.
“(The expo) has just grown like wildfire, we are today expecting about 20% higher than last year.”
Among the attendees was Congressman Bill Foster, who spotlighted the “underappreciated” efforts of those who work in the trades.
“Universities are a great option for a lot of people, but so are building trades and apprenticeship programs that lead to those good jobs,” Foster said. “You see the beautiful medallions that you see on buildings, and you often wonder, ‘I wonder who did that.’ And you can see here are the people that do it, and here are the products that they make.”
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