Construction Industry Careers. . . Almost All You Need To Know In One Spot!

Ideas from the Classroom: Construction Industry Careers Booklet
Jason Bentley—2014 Construction Workforce Committee Chair

As an active member on the Construction Workforce Committee, I have been able to work with committee members with a vast range of construction industry experience and knowledge. The committee has a common goal of trying to fill the “generation gap” in the overall construction industry workforce.

After many months of meetings, the Construction Workforce Committee of ABC Wisconsin has developed the Construction Industry Careers booklet aimed at providing information to anyone interested in pursuing a construction-related career. This booklet is a cover to cover attempt to educate individuals about career paths within the construction industry with an emphasis on apprenticeship opportunities available thru ABC of Wisconsin.

Although considerable amount of work has gone into developing the Construction Industry Careers booklet, there still more work to be done. The committee took the first step by creating the booklet. The next step is to place the booklets into the hands of those who can best benefit from it. To accomplish this task, members of the committee are contacting local high schools, meeting with career/guidance counselors to educate them about the booklet and its contents.

Over the past month I have reached out to multiple high school counselors. My approach was to send an e-mail briefly explaining why the Construction Industry Careers booklet was developed. Many of the counselors had a positive response to the booklet and they asked for an in-person meeting to go over some of the details in the booklet. It became clear to me that many of the career/guidance counselors were unaware of the numerous opportunities that existed in the construction industry. This made it impossible for these counselors to provide quality information to students interested in a construction career. The booklet provides a great foundation for students and their parents who might be interested becoming a project manager, estimator, or apprentice.

Since receiving the booklet, counselors have been in touch with the schools Tech Ed teachers, and in some cases have asked for a member of ABC to meet with their classes. ABC members who have accepted invitations talk about their experiences in the industry and answer any questions teachers and students may have.

With the booklet complete, any ABC of Wisconsin member can use it to spread the word about apprenticeship and other career opportunities in construction. Every contact we make with counselors, teachers, parents, and students helps ensure that information about the industry gets to those who can benefit from it the most–our future employees.

For more information about the Construction Industry Careers booklet or for copies, contact your association at 800-829-9926. Ask for Colleen.