MAYHEW, Miss. – In an effort to bridge the skilled labor gap and introduce girls to careers in construction, FORGE, a nonprofit focused on youth trades education, hosted its second annual Girls Construction Camp at East Mississippi Community College’s Golden Triangle campus.

The weeklong camp welcomed 24 participants between ages 12 and 15, offering them direct mentorship and exposure to the world of skilled trades through interactive workshops, team-based projects, and real-world training. That’s twice the number of attendees from the camp’s inaugural year.

Organized by FORGE, which aims to spark early interest in trades, the camp placed a strong emphasis on female empowerment in traditionally male-dominated industries.

“We start out young, work with them as they grow, hoping to get more and more interested in construction and the skilled trades,” said Melinda Lowe, executive director of FORGE.

With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting 663,500 annual job openings in construction and extraction industries through 2033, initiatives like these are helping address the workforce shortage. The field offers a median wage of $58,360, making it a promising career option for future generations.

Among the trade professionals mentoring the campers was Christee Roberson, owner of Graham Roofing in West Point and a founding member of FORGE. Her team offered instruction on roofing and helped lead project demonstrations.

“I think, being a female in the industry and never knew that this was something I could do, it’s important for sure to show other females that they can be in the trades, too,” Roberson said.

Throughout the week, campers learned a range of skills including drywall installation, roofing, electrical work, and plumbing, culminating in a collaborative service project: the construction and decoration of food pantry boxes.

“We have been building our boxes,” said Aveline Webb, 12, of Starkville. “We put up drywall. We’ve done roofing, electrical, plumbing, all the stuff that you would need to build a building.”

The completed food pantry boxes will be placed across Lowndes County to benefit local families in need.

Returning camper Jada Brown, 15, participated this year as a student mentor after attending in 2023.

“What I hope they take away is knowing how to build and wanting to want to do it in the future, and see themselves doing it,” Brown said.

Beyond career pathways, the camp also delivers practical skills with real-life impact.

“We already have one young lady who has been helping her family replace some shingles that were damaged in a recent storm,” Lowe said. “We’ve had others who have fixed the stoppers in their sink, because they learned here how to fix that.”

FORGE’s camp not only empowers girls with practical knowledge but also lays the groundwork for more inclusive representation in the trades—an industry urgently in need of fresh talent.

Originally reported by Simeon Gates in Mississippi Today.