Think Construction is an annual event hosted here in Moose Jaw, where numerous organizations come together to engage students in empowering them to make choices for their career path as they're leading on to graduation.

It coincides with Construction Week, an appreciation of one of the largest industries in Saskatchewan.
The construction industry has over 10,000 new entrants expected to enter the skilled trades in Saskatchewan over the next decade, and currently has over 50,000 people employed in Saskatchewan, almost equal to manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and forestry combined.

Prairie South School Division partnered up with All in All Construction in Moose jaw, Saskatchewan Construction Association, Saskatchewan Safety Construction Association, and Saskatchewan Apprentice, to put on the Think Construction event here in Moose Jaw.

Students working together - Think Construction.

Brett Young from Prairie South School Division, said their partnership with Sask Polytechnic allowed the students to experience a unique day. "We come into a place like Sask Poly, and we're so grateful for our partnership with Sask Poly because it allows us to work with the instructors here. It allows us to work with people that are in the industry, and they're working, and they're living their career paths. But they're sharing their stories with our students."

Think Construction is gives more hands on engagement before students make their choice about post secondary education, with first hand knowledge of the industry before they make those choices.

Students from all over Prairie South School Division came to the event, and learned skills in electrical, plumbing, construction, and safety.

Young said that safety portion was a big focus throughout the day, saying, "safety is huge in the workplace. So we wanted to have a safety section so the students know that going into their jobs, how to be safe, how they need to be wearing their hard hats, their safety glasses, steel toed boots, and these are the reasons why you need to. We also have an essential skills section. Where they're sitting down with a mentor from the Saskatchewan Construction Association, and also with Justin Hoyes from All in All Construction. So 2 people that are working together and they're saying here's the essential skills that we're looking for. When you're coming out to work for us, this is what we want you to have. And that could be the classes that you have in high school and of that of course. But they're looking for are you hard working, are you on time, are you asking questions, are you being safe. It's the soft skills. The ones that need to be built into them as they go off into their careers."

Learning about the safety side of the industry.The motto throughout the day was 'No Questions Are Bad Questions.'
Young concluded with, "I said at the beginning of the day, do no leave here with a question in your head. You have 12 mentors around you, that you can ask questions to. It doesn't matter if it's post secondary, work related, safety, you have all these people that have come together to help you guys out. So, ask questions. My job is to make sure that they don't leave at the end of the day without having their questions answered. That's empowering them to make good decisions."