‘Careers in Construction Month’ Begins

Alachua, Florida (Oct. 2, 2019)—Spearheaded by the National Center for Construction Education and research, (NCCER) and Build Your Future (BYF), the seventh annual ‘Careers in Construction Month’ is in full swing this October. Forty states, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and Washington D.C. have filed proclamation requests, making 2019 the highest participation ever for this nationwide observance. The celebration was launched to increase public awareness, inspire the next generation of construction craft professionals and make an impact on the perceptions of a career in construction. 

The construction industry offers job satisfaction, independence, high skills and many opportunities, yet is facing a critical shortage of workers. One identified barrier to entry for young people is the influencers in their lives, including parents and educators. A recent survey of parents showed that 100% of respondents considered job satisfaction to be important in their child’s future career choice, providing the industry a chance to feature the joys of being a craft professional.

When asked if graduates from their craft training programs are happy with their career choice, Jimmy Green, president and chief executive officer at Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Greater Michigan Chapter, said, “Happy is about mobility. Happy is about being paid. Happy is about having choices. Yes, absolutely they are happy.”

Recognizing the sway that parents, educators, counselors and other stakeholders have in young people’s lives, BYF recently launched a new influencer-focused website, discover.byf.org. The “Discover More” campaign includes resources such as success stories, fact blogs, steps to enter the industry and more. Additionally, three new video playlists are available this year on youtube.com/BYFCampaign, with more being released during October. 

BYF has also unveiled new resources for educators and industry representatives highlighting the benefits of choosing construction, including a social media kit, an industry recruitment PowerPoint and a new craft trading card featuring Ashton White, two-time winner of the National SkillsUSA postsecondary masonry competition.

In addition, NCCER and BYF are hosting the fifth annual “I BUILT THIS!” video contest to give aspiring craft professionals the opportunity to feature their construction projects. The contest is open to students and instructors in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs. Thanks to industry sponsors, Carhartt, DeWalt, Harbor Freight Tools and Pearson, along with NCCER and BYF, this year’s prizes are bigger than ever. Categories in 2019 include individual and group from both secondary and postsecondary programs and the popular People’s Choice, which gives the public the chance to vote on their favorite. 

Proclaiming October as “Careers in Construction Month” is already making an impression this year with the following having received their official proclamations: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In addition, the following have filed their proclamation requests: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington, Washington D.C. and Wyoming. 

Throughout the month of October, schools, contractors and organizations partner locally to host events and activities that introduce students to rewarding construction careers. For more information, visit byf.org.