Career Day Attracts Hundreds of Illinois Students for a Day of Transportation Education

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig welcomed central Illinois students to the agency's third annual Career Day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds today.  The event, which was started to inform Illinois students of the many rewarding opportunities in the transportation industry, attracted dozens of companies and hundreds of students from all over the state.

"We want to invest in the future of these students by showing them what the transportation field has to offer," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig.  "We think Career Day is a fun way to get students thinking about what they want to do for a living and an opportunity to realize their potential for success."

Approximately 550 middle and high school students from 20 schools are in attendance for today's event.  Students will be exposed to 60 exhibits, hands-on activities and several pieces of heavy equipment used to build and maintain Illinois' system of highways and bridges.

The careers highlighted included civil engineering, engineering technology, safety engineering, and surveying and construction trades.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of wage and salary jobs in the construction industry is expected to grow approximately 15 percent through the year 2012 and numerous job opportunities in other sectors of transportation are expected to open as baby boomers retire.

In addition to hearing about specific career opportunities, students were also provided a bag containing information about construction careers, including brochures and bookmarks.  Career Day attendees also received items such as a hard hat, and safety glasses provided by industry partners.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) partnered with representatives of the transportation industry, educational institutions and community-based organizations to host this event.  If you're interested in more information about Career Day, please visit our website at http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r090909.html