New Builder's Day Event on April 12 Brings Together Hundreds of Utah Students for Interactive Career Fair

Top Utah construction and design firms team up to engage and inspire local high school students at SLCC's Taylorsville Redwood Campus for hands-on event exploring careers in construction

SALT LAKE CITY, April 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, the largest constraint in the real estate industry is labor. Finding labor, and more importantly, retaining labor is the most difficult challenge the industry faces. And, keeping up with the demand in the built community gets harder and harder as generations of workers phase out and fewer younger generations phase in. This year, in an effort to curb those trends, members of Utah's largest and most impactful construction firms, including Mortenson, Big-D Companies, Layton Construction, Hensel Phelps, Destination Homes, Okland Construction, and Henry Walker Homes, partnered to bring new inspiration to younger generations about the exciting opportunities in the construction and real estate industry.

Together, along with many industry trade partners, this team announced details of the inaugural Builders' Day event, which will take place from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on April 12, 2023, at Salt Lake Community College's (SLCC) Taylorsville Redwood campus. The new interactive career fair will bring together more than 600 Utah high school students and more than 45 of Utah's top construction and design companies, with the goal of inspiring younger generations to explore careers in construction and related industries.

"With Builder's Day, we aim to give students hands-on opportunities to explore some of the hundreds of important, fulfilling, and well-paying opportunities in our industry," said Sarah Narjes, General Manager of Mortenson – Salt Lake City. "A strong construction workforce is vital to the future of our economy, our infrastructure, and our communities. We are so grateful to our sponsors and industry partners for their support and look forward to a successful event."

Companies representing every trade in the industry, including architecture and design firms, engineers, consultants, and general contractors, have come together to generously support Builders' Day. 

"We all suffer from a staggering shortage of skilled, qualified, and trained talent. The building industry provides high school and college graduates some of the highest paying jobs available. Not only that, but there is also a pronounced comradery in our industry — one that distinctly grows only through building something as a team; a sort of loyalty and honor for each other and the proud tradition of building. We are excited to be part of Builders' Day," mentioned Cory Moore, CEO of Big-D Companies.

Russ Mumford, Project Director at Okland Construction, added, "Construction is one of the largest industries in the world and yet it is often forgotten as a viable career. The reality is, it's a field in which jobs are plentiful, well-paying and open to both those with and without a college degree. The sky really is the limit when it comes to opportunities in construction and Builders' Day will show the students many of these exciting careers."

Throughout the morning, event partners have curated hands-on demonstrations, activities, and lessons with cutting edge technology on various paths to success for the students. 

"Our industry is evolving rapidly, and there are more ways than ever for students of all backgrounds to apply their diverse skills," said Jordon Gillman, Business Development Manager at Layton Construction. "We're proud to see so many different areas of our industry coming together to celebrate our craft and recruit the next generation who will help shape the future here in Utah."

To learn more about Builder's Day, please visit: www.Builders-Day.com 

About the Partners
Big-D Companies www.big-d.com/ 
Destination Homes www.destinationhomes.com/ 
Henry Walker Homes www.henrywalkerhomes.com/ 
Hensel Phelps www.henselphelps.com/ 
Layton Construction www.laytonconstruction.com/ 
Mortenson www.mortenson.com 
Okland Construction www.okland.com/

Media Contact:
Alexis Jarvis
[email protected]

SOURCE Mortenson