On Friday, June 13, the Colorado Department of Transportation, in partnership with prime contractor SEMA Construction, Inc., hosted middle school students for a tour of the Interstate 25 Rehabilitation project site. This opportunity was part of the Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology's National Summer Transportation Institute program at Colorado State University Pueblo.

“Providing hands-on learning experiences like this construction site tour is crucial for sparking students' passion for transportation and STEM fields,” said Shane Ferguson, CDOT regional transportation director. “We were thrilled to partner with the NSTI program and SEMA Construction to inspire the next generation of transportation leaders.”

During the two-week NSTI program in June, students in sixth through eighth grades from public and private schools across Colorado learn about various transportation systems, career paths in the industry, relevant education requirements and meet professionals working in the state's transportation sector. The program, sponsored by CDOT with support from the Federal Highway Administration, aims to generate interest in transportation careers among secondary students.

At the I-25 project site, a component of the larger Military Access, Mobility & Safety Improvement Project, students discussed the role of transportation infrastructure, received an overview of the rehabilitation work, met key project personnel and explored potential jobs in the industry.

“The Project Team did a great job to the highlight the scope of work items, types of construction equipment, the workforce needed along with the application of personal protective safety equipment used to construct these important large infrastructure projects. SEMA sees these events as opportunities to inspire the future workforce and leadership that is needed in the critically important construction and engineering industries and extends a thank you to the stakeholder's involvement with these students,” said Curt Scanlan, SEMA senior project manager.

The NSTI program offers a tuition-free opportunity for Colorado's middle schoolers to gain exposure to the vast array of careers within the transportation industry.