Young people who might be receptive to wearing steel-toed boots and a hard hat to work converged on Macomb Community College Feb. 8 to learn a little about what building trades workers do for a living.

Sponsored by the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) for the second straight year, representatives from several building trades unions answered questions, offered brochures and videos, and put their craft's best foot forward for potential hires.

"This was a lot better than last year," said Plumbers Local 98 organizer Mark Bott. "We've only been open for an hour and a half, and we've already seen 200 kids through here. We're also seeing a lot more counselors and teachers."

More than 1,100 students and adults attended the Apprenticeship Career Fair. Attendance picked up considerably from the year before in good part because the MISD picked up the tab for bus transportation for students from schools around the county.

"We gave away a ton of material," said Operating Engineers Local 324 Business Rep. Jeff Hamilton. "Just about everybody wants to know how much they can make, how old they have to be and what kind of training is involved. A lot of them just want to know what an operating engineer is."

Monika Leasure, the MISD's regional administrator for career technical education, said they're already looking at expanding the show next year and bringing in even more applicants.

"I get phone calls all the time from employers looking for workers," she said. "This fair has really taken off because of the need for workers that's out there."