Hands-On Career Exploration Events Return to Lake and Porter Counties
CROWN POINT, IN — The Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI), in partnership with the Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF), is proud to announce the dates for the 2025 Construction & Skilled Trades Days. The 9th Annual Lake County Construction & Skilled Trades Day will take place on October 28, 2025, at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point. The 3rd Annual Porter County Construction & Skilled Trades Day will follow on November 18, 2025, at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso.
Started in 2017, the event is hosted by CWI and CAF in collaboration with Indiana Plan, Northwest Indiana Workforce Board, READY NWI, and We Build Northwest Indiana. It is endorsed by the Northwest Indiana Building & Construction Trades Council and aligns with the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Week to promote awareness of registered apprenticeship opportunities.
Each year, the event welcomes students from more than 26 Northwest Indiana high schools, along with home schoolers, and out-of-school youth, for a hands-on introduction to careers in the skilled trades. Participants rotate through interactive booths representing up to 19 different trades—including carpentry, plumbing, painting, roofing, and more—presented by over 125 volunteers, apprentices, trainers, and retired tradespeople.
Importantly, student attendance at Construction & Skilled Trades Day now counts toward Indiana’s new graduation requirement for career exploration, as outlined in House Enrolled Act 1002. This makes the event not only engaging but essential for students planning their postsecondary paths.
“The main benefactors are truly the students, who may have never seriously considered what awaits them after graduation,” said Nicole Rodriquez, Director of READY NWI. “It allows them to explore all the region’s great options—whether it’s one of our amazing educational institutions or a path into a skilled trade.”
“Providing these types of opportunities to our youth can open doors and serve the needs of both the student and the unions in a time when skilled labor is needed more than ever,” said Kevin Comerford, Director of Professional Development at the Construction Advancement Foundation.
“More and more I meet former students—event alumni—who are now back as working apprentices. They’re the ones showcasing their trade and helping energize and recruit the next generation of skilled trades men and women.”
To register your school or youth group, go to www.cwicorp.com/news.
For information about entering the skilled trades in Northwest Indiana, visit webuildnwi.com.
To learn more about Career Champions for Schools: Bridging the Gap for Student Success, contact Nicky Rodriquez at nrodriquez@cwicorp.com or (219) 274-2040.