WAYNE TWP., Ind. -- A local teacher wants more kids to consider a career in the construction trades.
That's why he's created a week-long summer camp at Wayne Township's Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center.
15 students are learning the tricks of the construction trade by renovating an old shed behind their school, turning it into a concession stand.
Camp creator and Area 31 Construction Teacher Doug Sisk says in the last ten years, he's seen his class sizes dwindle by 65 percent.
And it's not just his classes that are hurting, the industry is too.
86 percent of contractors surveyed by the Associate General Contractors of America in 2015 said they've had trouble filling job openings.
"The Carpenters Union tells us every year, for every 100 carpenters that retires this year, there are only 30 to take their place. The numbers are awful and what's happening is people are having to hire people with fewer skills and put them out there to represent them because otherwise they're falling behind," said Sisk.
Sisk says the camp won't solve the construction trade shortage but it's important all the same.
Also tackling the skilled trade workers shortage, Lebanon schools announced Thursday that they just received a grant that will allow them to create new classes, exposing kids to construction-related jobs.
