800+ Students Get Construction Career Pipeline
Lee County contractors and subcontractors can use this recurring school event to recruit entry-level trade workers from local high schools.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Job Fairs
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Lee Building Industry Association welcomed more than 800 high school students to JetBlue Park on Thursday, October 22, 2026, for the 6th Annual Build My Future career exploration event. The event, hosted with the School District of Lee County and the American Subcontractors Association of Southwest Florida, introduced students to construction industry career paths.
Why it matters
Construction firms and skilled-trade employers in the Fort Myers area face ongoing hiring needs, and the event targets students before they choose post-secondary paths. Building an early pipeline of local talent is a direct way for contractors and subcontractors to address workforce supply.
More than 800 high school students attended the 6th Annual Build My Future event at JetBlue Park. The event has now run six consecutive years, establishing it as a recurring workforce-development fixture in Lee County.
The players
Lee Building Industry Association (Lee BIA)
A local trade association representing homebuilders and construction-related businesses in Lee County, which organized the event to build the regional construction workforce.
School District of Lee County
The public school district serving Lee County, which partnered on the event to connect its students with local construction career opportunities.
American Subcontractors Association of Southwest Florida
A regional chapter of the national trade group representing specialty subcontractors, which co-hosted the event to bring subcontractor employers to students.
The details
Local construction companies, skilled-trade professionals, educators, and volunteers participated in the event, giving students direct exposure to working tradespeople rather than only classroom descriptions. The format is hands-on, so students can see and try construction work instead of hearing about it secondhand. Lee BIA organized the event in partnership with the School District of Lee County and the American Subcontractors Association of Southwest Florida, combining the industry association, the school system, and subcontractor representation.
Timeline
Thursday, October 22, 2026: Build My Future event held at JetBlue Park with more than 800 students.
Market Landscape
The event is an industry-school partnership that has repeated for six years, pointing to a sustained effort by local builders to recruit from the district rather than relying solely on outside labor. It places Lee County's construction sector among local employers investing in direct pipelines to high school students.
Contractors and subcontractors in Southwest Florida should weigh whether to participate in future school-linked career events as a recruiting channel for entry-level trade positions. Human resources and recruiting staff can use these events to identify students interested in apprenticeships before competitors do.
The takeaway
Employers who want local construction talent should consider sponsoring or staffing school career events, since the district-industry pipeline is already established here. Track whether participating students enroll in construction-related programs in the coming school year as a signal of the event's workforce impact.
Further reading
For more on local hiring events, browse Job Fairs coverage for Fort Myers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Florida Weekly -.
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