Thousands of students from across New Jersey arrived by school buses and filled the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison on Wednesday to explore career opportunities in the construction industry.

“It is an industry of opportunity and they are looking to recruit, retain and elevate people within the trades,” said Jill Schiff, chief operating officer of the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, one of several sponsors of the two-day event.

“People need to see a career path and that’s what we are affording them today, showing people how they got in the positions they are in, where they started and what they get for it. That they are essentially getting an education for free.”

Over 2,500 students from 80 different schools got the chance to explore different displays, including interactive hands-on demonstrations, and shared what careers interest them the most.

“I’m here to look for a job today,” said Oneilia Chambers, a student at Pinnacle High School in Plainfield. “Having a job that you know pays well. . . I have a kid, so I am trying to provide for my kid. I feel like women can do this, and we can show how hard working we are.”

Joseph Reid, a student at Ewing High School, said he also came to look for a job in the electrical fields. “I want to do a Local 269 electric where I am from. I want to work on a switch yard, that’s my main goal, how to get there and what to do,” he said.

“It’s more fun going this path than college,” he said, “because you are going straight to work and get to stack up a little more.”

Laila Bell, who is currently enrolled at Edison Job Corps, said she has her eye on carpentry. “I just want to further my education with that. . . For me I have always been the type I can’t [stand] around, I can’t sit at a desk, and I need to move around, and I like to travel. Carpentry consists of all that.”