Eighth graders and high school students from Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley had a chance to swap textbooks for tool belts on Wednesday during a hands-on construction event hosted by the Montana Contractors Association.

Held just outside Missoula, the pop-up experience introduced students to key trades and jobsite activities—from hammering nails and maneuvering skid steers to soaring above ground in boom lifts. The goal: to give young Montanans a firsthand look at careers in construction amid a statewide demand for skilled labor.

“We're feeling the pinch,” said Alicia Rehbein of Riverside Contracting, speaking with the Missoulian. She noted that civil engineering isn’t always perceived as exciting work. “Going to school to become a civil engineer isn't always that, you know, glamorous.”

That perception is part of what the Montana Contractors Association hopes to change through these statewide events. Seven construction companies set up interactive stations for students to try everything from glass installation to heavy equipment operation. With Montana's population surge still fueling demand for new housing and infrastructure, companies are eager to connect with future talent.

Joanna Challinor, a truck manager with Riverside Contracting, said her team has seen “dry years” for recruiting. But she emphasized to students that high wages are possible without a college degree. “I started right out of high school, and I've been doing this for 30 years,” she told the Missoulian, adding that new hires can earn $35 an hour.

Barry Houser of the Montana Contractors Association said the average wage for general laborers starts around $35,000—but there’s significant room to grow. “It’s a myth that you’re just going to be digging ditches the whole rest of your career,” he said.

At one booth, Amanda Armstrong of Jackson Contractor Group asked a group of students who already saw themselves entering the field. Half raised their hands. “These guys know a little bit about construction, why they want to be in it,” she said. “You guys know how many other jobs there are in construction?”

She pointed out that Jackson employs 200 people, with fewer than half working in manual labor roles. Many positions involve management or administrative tasks—like Armstrong’s own work writing project proposals.

Armstrong also shared stories about the complexity of some job sites. When asked about her most difficult assignment, she recounted the challenges of working near patients at hospital sites. “We got shut down one day because they had to do brain surgery,” she said.

Jackson superintendent Todd Okken recalled a project in Miles City where even tools inside the medical center were rattling from nearby equipment. “Their tools were shaking from the vibration,” he said.

Students from Missoula Hellgate, Polson, Corvallis, Victor, and Hamilton high schools attended the event. Other participating companies included Western States Equipment, RDO Equipment, Sletten Construction, Dick Anderson Construction, and TC Glass.

Corvallis teacher Jake Jessop believes these events are a great way to reach students who don’t plan to attend a four-year college. “They’re going to see an excavator on the side of the road or on a job site somewhere, and they're gonna say, ‘I was in one of those,’” he said.

Senior Noah Guisinger of Hamilton High said his favorite part was going up in the scissor lift—and he’s thinking about joining a construction crew before enlisting in the Marines this fall.

While Montana’s growth rate has slowed from the pandemic peak—dropping from nearly 2% to just over 0.5% in 2024—the need for new housing remains high. Missoula alone is expected to require between 22,000 and 27,500 new housing units by 2045, according to the city’s recent Land Use Plan.

Apprenticeships are one way young workers can enter the field, earning a paycheck while gaining experience. “The skills they learn can travel with them,” said Houser.

Originally reported by Non Stop Local News.