DRAPER, Utah — Nearly 50 Canyons School District students pursuing careers in the skilled trades and engineering watched massive concrete wall panels lift into place Wednesday at the Canyons Innovation Center in Draper.
Crews from Hughes Construction used a crane to raise the panels as part of a "tilt-up" construction demonstration at the Innovation Center's new Trades Building. Tilt-up construction is a cost-effective, fast-tracked method for erecting concrete walls. Panels are cast on-site and, once they're cured, lifted into a vertical position by a crane — reducing construction time and labor demands.
Sam Soter, the business development specialist for Canyons Innovations Center, said it’s important to bring the students real-life experiences where they can ask questions to the professionals in the field.
“What this opportunity does is create relevance for the students,” he said. “So it’s not just about learning in the classroom. It’s about having a profession-based learning experience.”
The Canyons Innovation Center is a career-focused education campus being developed at the former eBay regional headquarters in Draper. Scheduled to open in 2027, the center will provide high school students with hands-on training, industry certifications, and concurrent-enrollment opportunities for immediate entry to high-demand, high-wage careers.
The purchase and retrofitting of the former eBay campus — including construction of the Trades Building — is being funded primarily through a $17.2 million state grant and proceeds from the sale of surplus district property.
On Wednesday, students participated in a Q&A with construction professionals to learn about the precision engineering, materials, and logistics involved in the process.
Bethany Stevenson is an 11th grader at Hilcrest High School and hopes to become an architect in the future. She’s studying construction at the Canyons Technical Education Center. She said being at the construction demonstration was a great way to see construction firsthand and ask important questions.
“It gives me another different perspective on construction,” she said. “Like this is what you see professionals doing, and it’s been so interesting to learn that I can actually build a shed in a day, and it’s taught me a lot about what goes into making stuff.”
Andrew Shupe is an 11th grader at Brighton and is also studying construction management at Canyons Technical Education Center.
“It’s way different than all the school experiences,” he said. “It’s very hands-on learning, like we’ve done a lot of projects and built a lot of stuff. We even built like snack shacks for the schools so we’re also able to give back to the community and learning stuff.”
