A California nonprofit hosted its second South Central Coast Trades Day Oct.22 , inviting hundreds of high school students across several counties to explore careers in the trades.
Construction Industry Education Foundation hosted the event at the Ventura County Fairgrounds with 37 companies and organizations representing construction, engineering, architecture and apprenticeship programs.
The event grew from about 350 students in 2025 to an estimated over 1,300 this year, said Lisa Eklund, a spokesperson for the nonprofit.
Students from high schools in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties as well as Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley spoke to industry leaders, operated equipment and got hands-on experience during the event.
Ernesto
Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura students test construction skills at career event













