The Construction Industry is a vital employer in the nation’s economy. It offers you the opportunity to create and to build. Careers as craftworkers and professional management personnel cover a wide range of construction activities. The industry itself is diverse and embraces all kinds of projects such as office buildings, plants, schools, interstate highways, hydroelectric dams, hospitals, churches, houses and tunnels. It also includes major maintenance and alteration projects. Large or small, the project is built carefully and capably by people with the ingenuity, skill and education to create. This could be your world.

Construction offers many different types of career paths, from semi- and skilled craft careers covering over 20 different trades, to jobs in management covering a wide scope of activities. The opportunities for advancement are virtually unlimited, regardless of where you choose to start.

The industry also offers national and international job markets, giving you the opportunity to select an employer in any city or town anywhere in the world. Few other careers offer this sort of opportunity.

Who hires employees trained in the building trades or with degrees in construction science? Obviously, one answer would be general contractors and subcontractors. These are the companies that do the greatest amount of new construction, rehabilitation, remodeling and maintenance. Many men and women with construction backgrounds are hired by other companies and agencies to evaluate, plan and oversee construction. Prospective employers in this group includes local, state and federal governments; hospitals; schools; and corporations that build and maintain warehouses, factories and offices.

There are various ways to pursue careers in construction. The methods described herein involve a combination of education and hands-on training. This information will provide you with an introduction on how you can pursue a career in the construction industry which will be challenging, satisfying and financially rewarding.