Robot dogs performing home inspections, 3D printed houses, and many other technological advances in the construction industry were highlighted during an award-winning fair geared towards local students and professionals already in the field.
More than 400 professionals, and students in the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows School District, attended the second annual event, Future of Work, hosted by Pitt Meadows Plumbing, Thursday and Friday, April 25 and 26.
This year the company received a leadership award from the BC Construction Association for the fair, an award that recognizes industry professionals who are helping to shape the next generations of construction workers in the province.
Stephen Robinson, president of Pitt Meadows Plumbing, said his company is passionate about actively engaging young people in what construction can be in the future. The idea to hold this fair came from visiting larger conferences in the United States, he said, where they are “significantly” further ahead in some of their instruction methodologies.
More than 400 professionals from the construction peer group industry including developers, builders, and other sub-trades, like electricians, and more, attended, even dozens of their competitors.
Although the event costs the company a significant amount of money, as well as lost production time, to hold, Robinson said the future of the industry depends on the next wave of workers and leaders.
“The whole goal for this event, for today is to make sure that young people, as well as their parents, recognize that the construction industry of today is not the construction industry of yesterday,” he said.
“No longer do you actually have to have, what I call it, traditional approach to construction, but there are so many other roles that need to be filled from digital model creation, to running complex automotive machine tools, to actually installing parts as well, if that’s your gig,” added Robinson.
Self proclaimed Queen of Prefab, Amy Marks, the EVP of Global Strategy for the tech company Symetri, was the keynote speaker, who talked about the variety of opportunities in the construction industry.
More than six bus loads of students attended the industry fair, including students from Samuel Robertson Technical, (SRT), Westview Secondary, (WSS), and Thomas Haney Secondary, (THSS).
READ MORE: Pitt Meadows Plumbing earns provincial construction award
Clara Blatt, a Grade 11 student at Thomas Haney, attended the fair with her father. She learned a lot about what goes into putting pipes together, like in welding.
“There’s so many different ways to do things,” she said, noting how technical the field is.
Her father Kevin Blatt thought the fair was a great opportunity for local students.
“The kids get the opportunity to see what goes on in the trades for their generation, not mine. It’s very very different,” said Blatt.
“Even some of the stuff I am seeing here today, I’m surprised at,” he said.
Brodie Boote, a Grade 10 student at SRT, is looking towards the plumbing industry and said he learned a lot about unique job experiences in the field.
Boote’s friend, Kian Khakbaznejad, Grade 11 at SRT, is also looking at plumbing, pipe fitting, and constructing sprinkler systems, was amazed at all the different options available to him.
“There’s plenty of jobs to do out there,” he said.
SRT Grade 10 students Taydem Wilson, and Logan Davis, were impressed with the new technologies in the construction industry.
Davis attended the event to see if there was a trade that would interest him.
“I found a pretty cool selection of jobs,” said Davis. “It really opened my eyes to what I can do.”
Brad Dingler, with the SD42 work in trades program, said the Future or Work event at Pitt Meadows Plumbing epitomizes how an industry leader has embraced not only a commitment to the community but also an opportunity for youth to explore what industrialized construction offers as a career path.
“As a mechanical company, Pitt Meadows Plumbing is truly an ambassador for their industry and, more broadly, all skilled trades. We are honoured to have their support for students in our skilled trades programs,” he said.