By Josephine Liu

Children of all ages will get hands-on experience operating working heavy equipment next Sunday when the third annual Keiki Construction Zone returns to Whitmore Fairgrounds in Wahiawa. The Nov. 8 event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and pairs children and adults with working construction professionals for hands-on operating experience, part of a broader push to introduce the next generation to careers in the trades.

The event brings the construction and agricultural industries together for what organizers describe as a hands-on community experience, according to Hawaii News Now. Children of all ages and adults alike will get practical experience operating working heavy equipment alongside professionals, the station reports — a far cry from watching bulldozers from behind a fence.

. . . 

Why Organizers See Urgency Behind the Fun

A skilled-trades workforce analysis compiled for the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii found the state had 58,470 skilled-trades jobs spread across 85 occupations in 2021, with the number of skilled-trades jobs projected to exceed 75,000 by 2028.

See the full story here.