Signing Day isn't just for college athletes anymore.
In Freeport, Texas, 112 high school students signed job offers on April 23 with petrochemical companies in the area. Those firms include plastics materials makers Dow Inc., BASF, LyondellBasell and Chevron Phillips Chemical. All of the firms are members of the Brazoria County Petrochemical Council (BCPC).
The Career Signing Day event is in its sixth year. The 112 job offers is the highest in the event's history. In a news release, BCPC officials said that the event allows graduating seniors to begin careers in welding, pipefitting, millwright, ironworking, electrical, instrumentation, HVAC, carpentry and other fields without the burden of college debt.
Participating students are selected through a rigorous application and interview process. BCPC members conducted more than 700 interviews in March.
Officials said the event has expanded because of a rising number of large-scale petrochemical projects in Brazoria County, increased contractor participation in the event and shifts in cultural perception of trade careers, as well as critical demand for new tradespeople because of to a wave of retirements in those fields.
"The record-breaking number of job offers [at the 2024 event] is a testament to the readiness of our graduates and the sheer demand from industry for the skilled trades," signing day committee chair Aaron Ennis said in the release. Ennis also serves as Alternate Funding Director for the Brazosport Independent School District.
"It's not just a win for these young professionals and the BCPC, but also a constructive shift towards a more skilled future for our community," he added.
The previous record was 79 job offers in 2023.