Delta’s Trades Day to connect students with hands-on careers

The BSXJ (Builders’ Exchange of San Joaquin) hosted a Trades Day at Delta’s Stockton campus on Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

This event had multiple exhibits for highschool students to get hands-on experiences and get a feel of whether they would consider or pursue a career in trades. 

Shannon Hurles, the CEO, alongside her peers of the BXSJ held the second Trades Day for about 500 students across the county in hopes of getting students to interact in the exhibits. 

“We’re looking forward to opening the students’ eyes to the capabilities and variety of pathways to better achieve their goals whether it is to work with a company or get skilled and trained in a program, and other options,” said Hurles. 

Hurles highlights the unlimited options for the female students who believe that trades may not be a possibility for them. 

“I also want to allow the female students to know they can get out there and do all these, coming from someone who started a construction company with my husband at 40, so being 40 and learning how to dig trenches, drive equipment, and just being able to not worry about being embarrassed and have a mindset of learning, trying, and being teachable,” Hurles said. 

The many different exhibits gave the students an opportunity to try out different things and see the possibilities out there. 

Although this is just the second Trades Day event under BXSJ, the responses from students, parents and teachers has been positive.

“We received a lot of positive feedback from our first Trades Day, we had gotten emails from teachers expressing their gratitude for holding this event and helping students figure themselves out and learning other pathways outside of college and military which gave many students hope for their future,” said Hurles. 

Many sponsors showed up to this event, a few of them being Calwaters, Republic Services, United Rentals, and City of Stockton’s Economic Development Department.

Cina Thompson, the municipal manager for Republic Services gave perspective and spoke of the benefits for both the companies of exhibitors, as well as the students. 

“It is important to show that there are other options out here to do whether it is alongside school or without school since it isn’t for everybody, and it also gives us a chance to see the students’ talents and interests that they may not have known,” Thompson said. 

Republic Services and along with the other companies that have attended offer many internships and training programs across the country.

“We have a 12 week program out in Dallas if students are interested and as well as a year and a half internship if the students are interested in furthering their resume or career,” Thompson said 

There were many demonstrations for things like stop lights, hammering, security cameras, etc. 

The event began to get more and more packed as more students, like Noah Cloward, who attends Discovery Challenge Academy (DCA), began to hold some activities and see if anything catches their eyes and express their appreciation that trades day provided for them. 

“Just being able to experience new things and opening my mind to other opportunities and possibilities out there in the world is very helpful for me, especially things related to HVAC which is something I have always been interested in and get to experience,” Cloward said. 

Alix Garcia, who also attends DCA, agrees about the opportunity that they have been provided with. 

“Being able to attend this event gave me a chance to see other opportunities as well and since I am graduating from DCA this year, I get to experience the different pathways that we can create,” Garcia said.