Nailing Down A Career In Construction

If you’re looking to build a career, you might want to check out the construction field.

That’s the advice from analysts who say today’s commercial and industrial construction industry is facing a tremendous worker shortage. In fact, employment in the industry is forecast to increase by 1.5 percent each year over the next 10 years, creating more than 1 million new construction jobs.

Of course, building a skyscraper, school, sports arena or an oil refinery requires the hard work of hundreds of people with the training, skills, knowledge and passion to become construction craft professionals. But industry experts say the rewards can be substantial.

“There is an enormous amount of both personal and professional satisfaction in being a part of a major construction project,” says Kirk Pickerel, president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a national trade association. “You can see the efforts of your hard work everyday.”

Perhaps best of all, a career in construction typically offers good pay, travel and job security, and it teaches skills that you can use for a lifetime.

Plus, whether you have thought about becoming a carpenter, electrician, plumber, sheet metal worker, welder or one of dozens of other specialty jobs, there are ways to find your place in the commercial and industrial construction industry.

For instance, ABC provides formal apprenticeship training programs that are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. These programs meet all federal and state requirements and include employer-sponsored classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship program, craft workers are recognized at the journey level in their trade.

If you are interested in starting a career in construction, visit http://www.abc.org and click on “Education and Training.” Then click on “Craft Training and Apprenticeship.” There you can learn about opportunities awaiting you as a construction craft professional.

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