Local Youth Learn Construction Skills Through Partnership Program

The Boys and Girls Club of Indio has partnered with local construction businesses to introduce children to basic industry skills and tools, addressing workforce development needs in a region where construction employment represents a significant economic sector.

During the hands-on program, children built birdhouses and cornhole sets using real power tools under expert supervision. Many participants had never used construction tools before the workshop.

"They're learning something," said Quinton Egson, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club. "They're taking away knowledge, and with knowledge, if they apply that, they can go a long way."

The initiative aims to expose students to potential career paths while teaching practical skills. Gretchen Gutierrez, the CEO of the Desert Valley Builders Association, noted that many children in the program had never used basic tools like screwdrivers or drills before the workshop.

The collaboration represents part of broader efforts to prepare local youth for future employment opportunities in the construction sector, which employs a substantial portion of the Coachella Valley workforce.