Future Builders Event Aims to Foster Interest in Construction Careers Among Young Minds
HOLLAND, Mich., July 22, 2024 – It’s not new news that there’s a labor shortage across the state of Michigan – and United States – when it comes to skilled trades and construction. As the industry looks ahead to the next 10 years, another challenge is on the horizon – mass retirements.
According to Manpower’s Talent Shortage Survey, the average age for trades workers throughout the United States is around 55 years old. Pair this with current labor shortages and you can see why construction industry leaders are getting creative with how they attract future workers.
EV Construction recently hosted its second annual Future Builders event at its headquarters in downtown Holland on Thursday, July 18th. The educational event for EV Construction team members and their families aimed to introduce young children to the exciting world of construction and the diverse career opportunities available within the industry. The event brought together children ages 3 to 16, hoping to inspire a new generation of builders, engineers, architects and tradespeople.
“Last year, we hosted a Bring Your Kid to Work event at a job site in Holland. Employees and their children were able to tour Resthaven’s newest community – The Farmstead – while enjoying hands on construction activities,’ said Mike Novakoski, CEO of EV Construction. “The event wasn’t even finished when we decided we needed to do this again, but make it even bigger and better.”
To kick off this year’s event, Novakoski hosted a special kid-friendly safety meeting about the importance of job site safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Children and their families were outfitted with their own PPE for the day including hard hats, high-vis shirts and vests, safety glasses, and gloves.
Highlights of the event included guided job site tours of Lakeshore Advantage’s Next Center, currently under construction at the corner of 7th Street and College Avenue in downtown Holland, plus a variety of hands-on activities, including building a playhouse, a giant sandbox, scissor lift rides, photo ops, and letting attendees experiment with framing, drywalling, painting, and firestopping. Children also enjoyed treats from EV Construction’s Sweets and Treats Ice Cream Truck and the opportunity to build birdhouses and construction themed crafts.
The event was a huge success, and EV Construction plans to continue hosting and growing their Future Builders event in the years to come. As advocates for education and community involvement, EV Construction is committed to expanding the event to trade partners and community members in an effort to nurture curiosity and offer firsthand experiences with construction in a safe and fun way.
While interest in the skilled trades has grown recently, there is still work to be done to expose younger generations to the construction industry. The Careerline Tech Center and the West Michigan Construction Institute (WMCI) offer programs for high school students and older. Their enrollment rates are growing and WMCI is even in the middle of a building expansion after less than 3 years of being open. However, there are more opportunities to expose even younger children to the industry.
“We are committed to being part of the solution for the labor shortage in the construction industry in many ways; inspiring the next generation of builders through this event is just one approach,” said Novakoski. “Our Future Builders event is a fun and engaging way to introduce children to construction in a way that is meaningful and memorable to them.”
Check out the video from this year’s Future Builders event!





