JONES COUNTY, Ga. — Sparks are flying, and these Jones County students are getting ready to heat up the competition at the 16th annual Construction Education Foundation of Georgia CareerExpo.
"I've seen semi-trucks parked inside the building, race cars, all different kinds of stuff, heavy equipment. They actually have the welding competition inside the main room. It's so large," 11th grader Levi Adkison said.
He will compete in welding, and senior Sam Johnson will take part in the firefighter competition.
"This one is the metal working display competition. It's a pre-built sculpture with an interview, where they'll ask you some questions about it," Johnson said.
It's the second time Jones County High welding instructor Mark Smith is taking his students to the state competition.
"There's hundreds of vendors there. All of it is a lot of career oriented. There's a lot of recruiting going on for people to get jobs after graduation there... every aspect of construction will be represented tomorrow," Smith said.
Smith says students who place in the competitions can put their awards on their resumes. First place winners will go on to the national competition.
"It's an amazing opportunity for these kids, and just looking at the money and the keyword in career, and they're doing something in high school that could be a career for them for the rest of their lives," Smith said.
This is the second year Jones County High offered the welding dual-enrollment program with Central Georgia Technical College.
Smith says they're taking about a busload of construction and welding students to the competition, that starts Thursday morning.
More than 6,000 middle, high and college students across Georgia are attending the CareerExpo. This year is the first time it's being held in the Georgia World Congress Center.
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