Growing by Leaps & Bounds

Build My Future celebrates five years.

When the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines took the leap to host the first Build My Future event in Des Moines in 2019, organizers hoped they’d eventually see enthusiastic statewide participation. With a modest but encouraging attendance of over 2,000 students that first year, then-volunteer Brandon Patterson soon took on a full-time role with the HBA promoting education and the skilled trades with schools and organizations across the state and, through the nonprofit Iowa Skilled Trades initiative, running the annual Build My Future event in Des Moines.

This past month, the fifth-annual Build My Future event took place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, breaking attendance records and surpassing expectations.

“We had over 7,000 students come through this year representing over 160 school programs across the state,” Patterson says. “And the event has done so well, we have two more in other areas of the state, that are run by local HBA groups there so we can reach groups that can’t make it to Des Moines.”

What started out in the Varied Industries Building that first year has expanded to include outdoor displays and hands-on activities as well as additional buildings at the Fairgrounds.

Patterson says, “The law enforcement exhibits have been some of the most popular, and the number of vendors in those fields continues to grow. So this year we had a stand-alone law enforcement area in its own building.”

Exhibitors included the Iowa Department of Public Services. Agencies represented fields from community police departments to criminal investigation and corrections.

“Health care is another one of the industries that keeps getting bigger, so we hope to have a separate facility for that industry next year. Agriculture is also popular, and we’re considering a stand-alone facility for ag exhibitors, too,” Patterson says.

During the first few years, organizers spent a good portion of their effort recruiting schools to attend. Patterson says creating awareness of the event and its benefits was the biggest challenge in those days. “Attendance hovered between 2,000 to 3,000 for the first few years. But as more schools got involved and more events were held around the state, educators have really gotten behind it.”

Even the last-minute switch to a virtual event in 2020 didn’t dampen enthusiasm. Nearly 3,000 students participated the following year. With the dramatic growth in attendance the past two years, Patterson says organizers are better able to focus on engaging with the business community and finding ways to make the event meet their needs as well.

“There’s always the logistics of making sure we have parking and t-shirts and volunteers to serve that many attendees, plus organizing the registration and safety training,” he says. “But technology has made it possible to do so much more than we were able to the first year.”

In addition to more and more virtual exhibits with simulators offering hands-on experiences for students, the Build My Future event provides technology for companies to follow up, recruit, and track attendees with a simple QR code.

“Some companies just want to get their name out there to have a chance to meet with educators and potential employees, but others are actively recruiting. The tracking capabilities are really helpful for them,” says Patterson.

Brittnie Van Houten of Van Wall Industries says her company continues to participate because organizers and attendees both make it a successful event. “We first had a booth in 2022, and every year we build relationships and find new hires as a result. There isn’t another event where we can interact with so many students interested in the trades. It’s the one event that touches so many schools, students, educators, and industries.”

The Rasmussen Group’s Courtney Maxwell says, “As the parent company of 11 operating companies, we use our indoor booth to provide information about all the companies under our umbrella, and our outdoor exhibit showcases equipment from the different companies we have.”

Rasmussen Group typically brings a dump truck, a ready-mix truck, asphalt equipment, a crane, a semi tractor-trailer, and a forklift, allowing students to climb into each one and even operate some of the equipment.

“We believe it’s important to showcase the trades and what we do,” Maxwell says. “Build My Future allows us to get in front of students and show them the opportunities available. And the hands-on experiences are important to truly paint the picture of what’s done in the construction industry.”

One of this year’s Rasmussen Group employee volunteers is a former Build My Future attendee. “We crossed paths with him at a previous event and hired him, and this year he was able to attend as an exhibitor,” Maxwell says.

Successes like that led organizers to create a Signing Day event, modeled after those celebrating college athletic commitments. Patterson says that’s always a highlight each year.

“It’s always fun to celebrate the students who are committing to a career in the trades and to recognize them and the companies who are committing to training them.”

Van Houten says, “We had 10 employees volunteer to man our booth this year, which is the most we’ve ever brought, and every one of them was busy. We never have trouble getting volunteers. They all feel like it’s important not just for Van Wall but for the industry. And it’s such a great opportunity to share who we are as a company.”

Like those of other exhibitors, Van Wall’s booth gets more hands-on each year. “We like to find ways to draw people to the booth, so we always have some sort of game or contest to win prizes,” he says. “While they’re here, our volunteers get a chance to engage with them and help them learn a little more about our company.”

Exhibitors always include employers in the skilled trades, and apprenticeship programs successfully recruit new members every year.

Patterson says one of his favorite aspects of the event is seeing students discover a path they never knew existed. “A lot of times students come in thinking they want one thing. Then while they’re here, they learn about a completely different field they didn’t know anything about, and it opens up a whole new career for them.”

Patterson can relate to that. His enthusiasm for the skilled trades and his success with the first Build My Future events turned into a full-time career. Finding that right path is what Build My Future is all about.