Nebraska recently hosted the 5th AGC Equipment Days in conjunction with the Cornhusker State Trap Shoot in Doniphan, Nebraska. This trap shooting competition hosts over 5,000 students in grades 6-12 in Nebraska and surrounding states. The trap complex turns into a town of its own during the three days of the shoot, as many families choose to bring a camper and stay on the property.
Steve Peck (SIMON, a COLAS Company) proposed a construction-related promotion at the Cornhusker State Trap Shoot to AGC Nebraska Workforce Development Committee in 2018. An avid shooter, he had a relationship with the Nebraska Games and Parks Coordinator, who helped get us in the door. AGC Equipment Days is included in the event packet, and about 1,000 students and their parents attend the event each year.
Students participating in the trap shoot learn about the AGC Equipment Days through word of mouth, posters and targeted social advertisements. Once students come down to the interactive booth in the nearby NMC Cat equipment lot, they are asked to do three things: register (name, grade, school, phone number), test their skills on mini excavators and use one of the five equipment simulators. Each of those stations gets them a hole punch, and when they have all three, they are entered to win the shotgun (CZ Wingshooter Elite with AGC Nebraska engraved on the stock) that is given away each of the three days. AGC Nebraska members volunteer their time to attend the event and share with students and parents the benefits of a career in construction.
2023 was the fifth year that AGC Nebraska set up Equipment Days. A handful of kids have come through each year and are nearing the end of their high school careers. It is rewarding to see their interest in heavy machinery stay strong. Students and instructors from Central
Community College – Hastings’ Heavy Equipment Operator Technician Program are at the event to share about scholarship opportunities that AGC Nebraska offers.
“We love seeing this event grow year after year,” said Executive Director Katie Wilson. “My favorite part of the event is watching the younger siblings of the kids competing in the shoot ask if they can “ride the equipment.” Absolutely, they can. That is where it begins; get them thinking positively about
equipment early.
Each year, parents’ and students’ eyes are opened to the possibilities of the industry. The hope is that by giving kids who already have an interest in outdoor activities hands-on experience in construction, we see 5-10% of them choose construction-related careers down the line.