Careers in Construction and Grade 13 teamed up with Hudson’s Bay High School for a job fair, with the goal of connecting welding and fabrication businesses in Southwest Washington with some of the top students in Clark County

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

It was another job fair specifically aimed toward the best high school students in their fields, yet it was also the first of its kind.

Careers in Construction and Grade 13 presented a job fair Tuesday at Hudson’s Bay High School, an event that featured more than 20 local businesses interviewing more than 40 of the top students from school districts throughout Clark County.

Careers in Construction is a charity that focuses on workforce development in Southwest Washington. Grade 13, part of Careers in Construction, connects high school seniors with jobs in the trade industry.

This is the third year of the job fair. Jon Girod of Quail Homes and Careers in Construction said the previous job fairs led to employment offers to 70 percent of the students who were interviewed.

Also, those previous job fairs — in 2024, 2025, and one last week — were focused on jobs in construction.

This week’s fair was geared toward the welding and fabrication businesses.

“Bringing the network to the students is what this is all about. At the end of the day, you want kids employed upon graduation for those who want to go that route,” Girod said. “We bring in the top all-star students in the construction/welding arena at all the schools in our area, and they get to meet the top-notch employers and hopefully launch their careers.”

Girod said the average starting wage is $23 an hour in the trades. He said he knows of recent high school graduates who, with overtime, are making $70,000 a year, still living at home, and getting a great start in life.

Mark Wreath, the director of career and college readiness for Vancouver Public Schools, acknowledged that on a day like this, he is more focused on career than college in his official title.

He has overseen the opening of the Endeavour Technical Trades Center on the campus of Hudson’s Bay High School, a center that focuses on construction. That is where the job fair was held Tuesday. Wreath is also excited about the Ed Lynch Trade Center, which is set to open next school year at Fort Vancouver High School. That center will focus on welding and fabrication.

“This is a vision come true for me,” Wreath said at the job fair. “I want to put students who we have trained in our region in a specific area of expertise in front of employers.”

It is not just a benefit for the students, Wreath added.

“Having these employers see some of our top talent in Southwest Washington, it’s opening their eyes that we do have quality students coming out of our high school programs,” Wreath said. “We have quality kids … ready to go to work.”

Also in attendance Tuesday were members of the King’s Way Christian Schools administrative team. Dr. Jason Tindol, superintendent, said King’s Way is hoping to build its own trades center, as well.

Tindol said King’s Way Christian is not just about prepping students for college. There are plenty of students interested in the trades, plus a number of students who want to do both.

“Our mission is bigger than just college and just trades,” Tindol said. “We want to improve both to be a more complete school.”