ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Some 1,000 students from the Rochester area had the chance to get their hands dirty at the Rochester Careers in Construction Fair Thursday.

The goal of the event is to expose students to a variety of careers in the Finger Lakes construction industry, by giving them hands on experience with equipment.

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello says he’s an advocate for these types of events.

“When you learn a new skill in the construction industry, that skill translates into a career, but that skill is something that you take with you for the rest of your life,” Bello said. “It’s something that nobody can ever take from you, and that’s a valuable thing to learn when you learn a trade, and that’s what these young people are learning today.”