A Career In Construction

Have you ever stopped to think about who built the roads, shopping malls, schools, homes, and restaurants that you use or visit? How about the Empire State Building, Hoover Dam, Sears Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, US Capitol Building, Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal? These were all built by men and women who have made a career in construction and are proud to say, “I Built That!”

Today, the construction industry is one of the nation’s largest industries, employing more than 7.7 million people*. It is projected that there will be as many as 1 million new jobs available in the construction industry by 2016. These are good paying, rewarding careers, such as:

• Carpenter: builds forms, frames structures, installs exterior siding, interior trim and cabinets.
  
  
• Electrician/Electronic Systems Technician: plans and installs electrical,
  communication and data systems for structures.
  
  
• Heavy Equipment Operator: operates bulldozers, backhoes, front-end loaders,
  excavators and other heavy machinery to prepare the construction site for building.
  
  
• HVAC Technician: installs, maintains, and repairs heating, ventilation, and air
  conditioning systems of various types.
  
  
• Iron Worker: moves and installs large girders and beams on bridges and building frames to provide strength and support, or installs ornamental ironwork on elevators, stairways and balconies
  
  
• Mason: constructs walls of brick, block, stone, concrete block, panels and more.
  
  
• Plumber, Pipefitter, Steamfitter: designs and installs piping systems that distribute water and remove waste from buildings.
  
  
• Sheet Metal Worker: cuts and molds sheets of metal into products for installing and repairing ventilation and air ducts, or constructing aluminum siding, metal roofing, and gutters.
  
  
• Sprinkler Fitter: designs, installs, and tests automatic fire protection sprinkler systems.
  
  
• Welder: joins objects together by applying heat or pressure.

The Other Four Year Degree

To build a successful construction career, you’ll need to earn the “The Other Four Year Degree.” What is “The Other Four Year Degree?” It’s an apprenticeship in the construction crafts consisting of a combination of construction craft training (144 hours/year) and on-the-job training under the supervision of a Journeyman (2000 hours/year). Apprenticeship training typically lasts for a period of four years leading to a Journeyman Certificate, which is portable and nationally recognized, and is the foundation for a career in construction.

As an apprentice advances in knowledge and experience, wages also increase reflecting the ability of the apprentice to make a greater contribution on the job. Plus, apprenticeship training may qualify for college credits and employers oftentimes pay for the apprentice’s classroom training, it’s an opportunity to earn while you learn

• With this solid foundation and additional experience and education even more career opportunities exist in construction, including supervisor, estimator, project manager, construction manager and, ultimately, CEO/company owner. What other career field offers so many opportunities?

Getting Started

Now is the time to start your career in construction. If you’re still in high school, complete your high school education! Be sure to build your math and communication skills. If your school offers a vocational training or a School-to-Career program, take advantage of it, and be sure to network with local employers.
When you graduate high school, contact area commercial contractors about positions they have available. They are looking for employees with the desire and ability to learn and grow on the job into skilled, knowledgeable and productive employees.
Join the nearly 8 million Americans who say with pride, “I Built That!”

Editorial is provided by Associated Builders and Contractors – Northern Ohio Chapter *Source: National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).