Students get a chance to experience the trades hands-on at Waukesha County Expo Center

WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- It's one thing to learn about careers in the trades. It's another thing to actually try them out. 

And that's exactly what middle and high school students got to do at the inaugural "Experience the Trades" event at the Waukesha County Expo Center Tuesday, Oct. 4. 

Fifteen-hundred students tried their hands at activities such as virtual welding, buffing the hood of a car, building a secure structure, surveying with a robotic station and more.

"Our goal today is getting students interested in hands-on opportunities and career pathways within construction or manufacturing industries," said Amanda Payne, senior VP at the Waukesha County Business Alliance. "This is really a culmination of those partnerships, so just seeing the interaction and the collaboration between our school partners and our businesses, getting kids interested in careers."

Workforce shortages continue to be the number one issue facing the business community. 

The Waukesha County Business Alliance is working to show students that the manufacturing and construction industries have many fulfilling, stable and high-paying jobs to consider.