Should Construction be on Your Short-List of Career Choices?
Not sure that college is right for you? Do you like to work with your hands or to build things? Are you mechanically inclined? Want to earn good money? If you answer, "yes" to any of these questions, a career in the construction trade is a viable consideration for you.
The construction industry offers a wide variety of exciting career opportunities for both men and women. Whether as a skilled carpenter, electrician, pipefitter, mason, welder, or in a supervisory position, a career in the construction trade can be immensely fulfilling.
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There is an abundance of construction-related job openings all across America. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics, "The number of wage and salary jobs in the construction industry is expected to grow about 15 percent through the year 2012, compared with the 16 percent projected for all industries combined."
According to Mitch DaDante, President of Construction Craft Academy, "The shortage of skilled workers across America is alarming. The good news for graduating high school students is all recent projections indicate the construction industry must recruit 250,000 new skilled craftworkers per year to meet future needs." This means high school grads seeking formal training in the trades will be able to take advantage of prevalent job opportunities with above average incomes. In fact, in 2002, non-supervisory workers in construction averaged $18.51 an hour, significantly higher than most other industries.
Post-secondary vocational schools and academies, local employers, trade associations, and organized labor administer the most thorough forms of apprentice-style training. The length of typical apprenticeships usually last between 3 and 5 years, consist of on-the-job training, and 144 hours or more of related classroom instruction each year.
Many skilled craftworkers ultimately advance to supervisor or project superintendent positions, crossover to jobs such as project estimator, purchasing agent, or sales representative for building supply companies. In addition, construction offers individuals opportunities to own and run their own business.
Now it's time to ask yourself a few more questions: Can you see yourself as an accountant, sitting behind a desk balancing number day in and day out? What about writing code in front of a computer screen 40 plus hours a week? Or, how about working the night shift as a nurse, or even managing a fast-food chain? If you answer "no" to these questions, perhaps you should place a construction trade on your short list of viable career alternative.
Editorial provided by Mark Christopher, Construction Craft Academy.
