"Heavy Metal and Cashing In" Building the possibilities – Hundreds of area high school students experience construction trades at the College of Southern Idaho

Teenagers were behind the controls of heavy-duty construction equipment on Thursday, moving dirt around and tearing concrete apart with a jackhammer.

Hundreds of area high school students showed up on the campus of the College of Southern Idaho for Heavy Metal and Cashing In, a construction trade fair aimed at giving students a glimpse and hands-on experience with construction trades.

An estimated 665 area high school students are expected to participate in the event, which continues today with students from area schools, including Burley High School, Raft River High School and Minco High School in Rupert. The event is a WIRED federal grant program, which is overseen by the Idaho Department of Labor.

"The goal is to get kids interested in the construction industry," said Cyndie Woods, construction training coordinator for the Idaho Department of Labor in Region 4, an eight-country region that includes Twin Falls and Burley.

By Ben Botkin
Times-News writer

Full Story: http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2009/05/08/news/top_story/161351.txt