ABC13 Who's Hiring Job Fair focuses on trade skill jobs where you can earn while you learn

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- ABC13 Who's Hiring Job Fair is heading to Deer Park, where you can find a job or break into a career where you can earn while you learn.

A trade skill can offer hands-on experience instead of an office - a lifestyle that Aldo Capristo fell into 40 years ago.

"Frankly, I was pretty sure I wasn't mature enough to go to college," Capristo recalled. "I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had a friend join the Navy and said, 'This is pretty neat.'"

Capristo went from serving the country to serving Texans. He works at the STP Nuclear power plant in Bay City, which provides the state with 5% of its electricity.

"We like you to say at the end of the day, 'Did you make a difference?' Usually, you can walk home and say you sure did," Capristo said.

It's an opportunity they need more people to take. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the average manufacturer is 44, which is two years older than the average worker.

"You're probably looking at my gray hair out here right now, and it's absolutely essential because not everybody sees the trades as their first path," Capristo said.

The latest state jobs report shows there are openings. Last month, the Houston area added 2,800 construction jobs. Over the last year, 8,400 construction jobs were created.

It's the fourth fastest-growing industry in the area. If you want one of those positions, ABC13's who's hiring job fair is on Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon in Deer Park at the Pipe Fitters local union 211, 1301 W. 13th Street.

To learn more about jobs, visit Workforce Solution's website, and look for the "as seen on ABC13" section. You can also call the ABC13 hotline powered by Workforce Solutions at 713-243-6663.

"Have contractors there that are willing to put people to work immediately," Workforce Solutions' principal industry liaison for building and construction, Lacy Wolf, said. "If you've got some experience and skills, we'll put them to work."

If you don't have experience, you can learn about apprenticeship programs, which can help you break into the welding, electrical, and pipe fitting industries.

"If you enjoy working with your hands," Wolf said. "If you don't mind the environment and elements, being inside and outside and going to different job sites."

It's a reason why some broke into the business decades ago and haven't looked back since.

"It's been a great ride for me, and I love the heck out of it," Capristo said.

If you plan to show up for Thursday's job fair, experts said don't worry about a suit and tie, but do come dressed neatly. Also, stand out by asking questions.

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