Students from the US and Canada will travel to Las Vegas in March to compete in the national finals of the AEM Construction Challenge sponsored by Volvo Construction Equipment.

The students demonstrated their creative thinking and teamwork when they vied in regional rallies to secure a spot to the finals by building a structure that related to transportation and water infrastructure.

"We saw amazing creativity and problem-solving skills from student teams at each of the rallies," says Paul Parker, Volvo's senior marketing and program specialist.

"We look forward to bringing this next generation into the construction field to help meet infrastructure needs in North America and to solve problems we may not even be considering today," he adds.

At the national finals, 24 teams will compete for scholarships and other prizes and have the opportunity to meet leaders in the construction industry.

Eight of the nine regional rallies were held on 15 January in Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Enid, Milwaukee, Richmond, Seattle and Toronto. The Atlanta rally was held on 22 January.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) designed the Construction Challenge to engage teenagers in an educational setting and spark their interest in construction industry careers. It is a joint effort by the AEM and the non-profit organisation Destination ImagiNation.

The national championship will be held from 21-25 March at the international CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction industries trade show.