DUNEDIN, Fla. — Lilly Tallent is a freshman at Dunedin High School and dreams of one day owning her own construction company.
"I like being able to do things hands-on and being able to say I did something and be proud of it," said Tallent.
She is one of many students in Mr. Szymanski’s construction class that just received $10,000 worth of much-needed tools and equipment for a new electrical wiring program.
"These tools are going to allow me to put tools in every student’s hands and not just 5 or 10 at a time because we were limited on being able to scale the program for as many students as we’ve had," said Brandon Szymanski, construction teacher at Dunedin High School.
The tools, which included ladders, drills, and much more, were donated through APG Electric, Electric Supply, and Milwaukee Tools.
Construction industry leaders say getting young people excited about construction is important because there is a critical shortage of skilled workers, particularly electricians, who are in high demand in Florida.
Experts say the average age of a skilled electrician is 58, and with many near retirement, nearly 80,000 job openings for electricians are projected each year nationwide. Florida is among the top 5 states employing electricians.
"Having worked in the field, I know what’s coming out of high schools right now and what needs to come out of high schools so these students can really be set up for a good career," said Szymanski.
