Notre Dame hosted more than 800 area high school students and educators from 17 schools for the first Building Trades Day on Friday, Oct. 13.
The event was an opportunity for students to meet local employers, explore trades education and career opportunities in the greater South Bend community, and see how their classroom learning can build a foundation for future success. This comes at a critical time for the industry, according to Sr. Director of Construction and Quality Assurance Tony Polotto.
“The construction industry has suffered from more than a 30-year decline with a severe depletion of contractors and manpower to meet the current construction needs across the country,” Polotto said. “We were able to utilize the Notre Dame brand and size of construction projects/programs to generate interest from the contractors and schools to make it an eventful day for anyone exploring a career in construction. This event was a true partnership to enhance our contractor’s exposure to the next generation of builders and to let the students see what large commercial construction has to offer. ”
More than 60 employers and training partners participated, interacting with students and leading hands-on activities at Stepan Center. Students were also able to tour current building projects on campus, including the new research building and new men’s residence hall.
At Tonn and Blank, we believe there’s a positive impact on students when they can see first-hand the education and career opportunities available in our region,” said Human Resources Manager Megan Wheeler. “The idea of being part of a team building our community can positively influence their education and personal choices and provide inspiration as they envision their future.”
Our team demonstrated various technologies including a trimble and building information modeling. A trimble machine control is a precision engineering tool that is used on construction and survey sites. It allows for greater accuracy and productivity in the work being done. Trimble machine control is a powerful tool in precision engineering. It allows for greater precision and accuracy in projects.
BIM objects, the components that make up a BIM model, are intelligent, have geometry, and store data. If any element is changed, BIM software updates the model to reflect that change. This allows the model to remain consistent and coordinated throughout the entire process so that structural engineers, architects, MEP engineers, designers, project managers, and contractors can work in a more collaborative environment.
Virtual Design & Construction is very interesting to the younger generation, as BIM is used for entertainment and gaming. BIM principles and tools create realistic and detailed 3D models of virtual worlds, scenarios, and characters for various types of media, such as films, video games, simulations, and exhibitions. BIM for entertainment and gaming is the use of BIM principles and tools to create realistic and detailed 3D models of virtual worlds, scenarios, and characters for various types of media, such as films, video games, simulations, and exhibitions.
It’s important we continue to make the construction industry interesting to the next generation!