How different would your career path look if you were given a day to “try out” a career; to get your hands on the equipment and technology associated with a certain industry? That is the experience the Build My Future program now offers to high school students.
Build My Future is an innovative, interactive career exploration showcase focused on the field of construction. Students from across Missouri spend an entire day operating heavy equipment, building walls, pouring concrete, climbing utility poles, and completing other hands-on and virtual activities to learn about the construction industry.
The inaugural Build My Future event was held in Springfield in 2017 and drew 900 participants. The organization quickly expanded into other areas of Missouri and has even inspired similar programs in other states.
DID YOU KNOW?
A wide range of construction jobs are related to the energy sector. They include equipment operators, carpenters, roofers, electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, electrical engineers, architects, urban planners and construction managers.
Early in 2022, MoDNR’s Division of Energy was exploring possibilities to expand its presence in energy education and workforce development efforts across Missouri. Good fortune connected division staff with Associated General Contractors of Missouri, which had already partnered with Build My Future. In October of that year, the division participated in its first Build My Future event, which was held at the Cole County Fairgrounds in Jefferson City.
In 2023 alone, the Division of Energy participated in six Build My Future events, interacting with more than 11,500 high school students.
At these events, the division’s House of Pressure interactive display serves to enlighten students about the principles of building science and careers in weatherization. Division team members perform pressure diagnostics on a scale model home to demonstrate how pressure affects interior air movement. Students experiment with the display by opening and closing windows and doors, opening and closing gaps between floors, and operating air supply and ventilation fans to create environmental variations in the display’s interior.
To promote the division’s Weatherization Assistance Program, team members share information about the various jobs associated with energy audits and weatherization projects. They also discuss the broad career opportunities related to the energy performance of buildings and how it relates to efficiency.
The atmosphere at Build My Future events is loud, chaotic and positive. Students are drawn to the House of Pressure display and leave with a better understanding of the relationship between energy, building performance and construction practices. It’s a perfect way to introduce young people to workforce opportunities in energy efficiency and energy conservation.
For more information, visit MoDNR’s weatherization webpage and the Build My Future website.
