Published Saturday, October 10, 2026 in the Everett Herald
Trade Up Lets Students Experience a Day in Different Careers in Edmonds
By Jenna Millikan
Fresh off the school buses, South Central County high school students lined up Thursday morning to receive their hard hats and safety vests.
More than 200 students attended Trade Up, an annual event that filled up one of Edmonds College's parking lots. The event, sponsored by The Snohomish and Island County Labor Council and Workforce Snohomish, gives teens hands-on experience with different types of apprenticeships and career opportunities within the trades.
Time spent at Trade Up gives students the chance to find something they are passionate about, said Vanessa Medalla, Edmonds School District’s Career and Technical Education business partnerships and career connected learning coordinator.
"We don’t get hands-on events normally for career fairs," she said. "In this case, they're actually doing what they’re going to be doing in the future."
Beyond a chance to use machinery, Trade Up gives teens a snapshot of a day’s work, including tracking their hours on a timesheet, a lunch break and compensation in the form of a $10 Fred Meyer gift card.
For Edmonds School District students like Yousef Lukata, it’s a chance to learn more about hands-on careers.
"I’m excited to learn and try new opportunities with my friends," he said as his group gathered to visit their first booth.
The Snohomish and Island County Labor Council sponsors three Trade Up events annually across the county, said the council’s secretary-treasurer, Charlotte Murry. Students get 15 minutes at each booth representing fields ranging from machinery to meat cutting.
"Each booth has an activity that you would see in a day in the life of that particular type of work," she said.
Students are introduced solely to union career prospects at the event, according to a press release.
At the booth for Laborers’ International Union of North America’s Local 292, Scott Rockwell and Micah Stoin shared with students what they do in the laborers' union.
"Not everybody has to go to college or work in an environment like that," Rockwell said. "That's why I fell into the trades. I like being outside. I like moving my hands and seeing something physically completed."
Working in trades, people can be paid to learn and receive health benefits, Stoin added.
"This is a career path that you can’t really shake a stick at," he said.
Inside the Machinists Institute's trailer, Kim Dove, the institute's Boeing programs director, helps students use virtual welders. Meanwhile, a 3D printer behind him creates a rainbow of identical toy boats.
Outside, the institute’s regional director of operations, Herman Calzadillas, teaches them about different training options.
"The world's going to continue to evolve," he said. "We want them to understand that they become lifelong learners."
Mariner High School student Abe Flores learned something new Thursday when he tied rebar for the first time.
"It gave me a lot of respect for the people who do it," he said.
Inside Brier Hall, International Union of Operating Engineers No. 302 ran a virtual simulator where students used an excavator to load a dump truck.
"A lot of people think it’s easier than it really is," said Levi Johnson, an IVOE 302 member who guided each student through the simulator.
Operating engineers build, operate and maintain infrastructure and essential facilities, according to the International Union of Operating Engineers website.
The simulator was a favorite of Maxwell Strieck, a senior at Meadowdale High School, who attended alongside his friends Luis Gibson and Vinny Meucci. He wanted to participate in Trade Up because "it’s an opportunity to learn and connect with people who can give opportunities for apprenticeships."
For Gibson, attending was an opportunity to push himself, he said. From a few feet away, the scent of sausage wafted over as representatives from the meat cutter industry cooked and handed out bite-sized samples. One of the best parts of the job is making food exactly the way you like it, said Pat Donnelly, a meat cutting instructor from South Seattle College.
Donnelly has done several educational fairs like Trade Up. His favorite moment is watching students realize the possibilities out there.
"It’s like a light switch behind their eyes," he said.
For Noah Mallindine, who works in the meat department of a boutique grocer, Town & Country Market, he got into meat cutting because he wanted a skill that would take him anywhere.
"I’m particularly fascinated in European cuisine," he said. "I knew that living in the U.S., having a skill that’s highly desired in Europe would make it easier to take my trade anywhere."
Trade Up reaches more than 1,000 students each year and serves more than 10 school districts, the release said. The event has taken place across the county for 12 years, with Thursday’s event marking the fourth year for Edmonds.
Other booths featured representatives from the Port of Everett, Snohomish County Public Works and more.
Juniors and seniors looking to get involved can check in with the CTE departments at their schools to see if they participate, Murry said.