As part of the summer-long, all-girls construction camp MyWIC, middle school and high school girls will visit Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Thursday, Aug. 1, at 9:45 a.m. to participate in the Skilled Trades All-Star Program.

Hosted by South Jersey, New Jersey-based facilities management firm NEST and the Philadelphia Phillies, the girls will learn the intricacies of stadium operations, covering aspects from HVAC and groundskeeping to carpentry and maintenance.

MyWIC, which stands for Mentoring Young Women in Construction, is celebrating its 15th year of holding the girls’ camp in Philadelphia. Organizers introduce young women to important careers that they may not have previously considered. Since June, the two MyWIC camps have visited several trade locations throughout the area.

In response to the skilled labor shortage, NEST helped establish the Skilled Trades Advisory Council in 2023, uniting industry experts to champion skilled trades as viable and rewarding career choices. The Skilled Trades All-Star Program with the Phillies is a direct extension of STAC’s mission, seeking to illuminate the path for youth toward these essential roles. Managing more than 60,000 retail locations, NEST is the pioneer of integrated facilities management.

A report from Associated Builders and Contractors underscores the urgency of such programs. It indicates that the construction industry needs to hire an additional 500,000 workers in 2024 alone to meet labor demands.