Construction: Schools and Careers

About Construction

Construction Career Overview

Goods and services provided by Construction industry professionals are vast. Goods include office buildings, schools, hospitals, apartment and condominium buildings, houses, bridges, and roads. Services range from site preparation and inspection to building new structures and additions to modifications and improvements to maintenance and repair. The Construction industry offers a wide variety of career opportunities for individuals with varying talents and levels of education including: Electricians; Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters; Building Insulation Workers; Engineers; Carpenters; Construction Equipment Operators; Construction and Extraction Managers and Supervisors; Master, Journey, and Apprentice Craft workers, and much more.

The Construction industry is segmented into three major areas:

• Construction of Buildings: Mainly includes General Contractors who are responsible for the coordination and complete construction of industrial, commercial, residential, and other buildings (except for items excluded from a general contract).
• Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction Contractors: Individuals in this segment build roadways, highways, tunnels, bridges, sewers, and more.
• Specialty Trade Contractors: Individuals in this segment specialize in areas related to construction projects (e.g., electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, painting, flooring).

Commonalities shared by most individuals in the Construction industry include:

• working outdoors (mainly) and indoors; often times in strenuous conditions
• good physical condition
• working a minimum of 40 hours/week or more (very common)
• working under pressure to meet deadlines
• strong mechanical aptitude
• exposure to accidents or hazardous conditions (incidents may be avoided by following proper procedures and regulations)

Construction Career Education

Individuals entering the Construction industry will find that education and training requirements vary greatly. Those entering directly out of high school typically start their career as helpers, laborers, or apprentices. Depending on the function, some learn their skills within a few days, while many others will take years through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction. The more formal education one receives, the more skilled and advanced they become.

Many individuals begin their trade through apprenticeship programs administered by trade associations, employers, and trade unions (provide the most thorough training). Programs generally last three to five years and include on-the-job training with 144 hours or more of classroom instruction. Competency standards have made it possible for individuals to complete training in less time; individuals must be 18 years old and in good physical condition; employers typically require background checks.

Trades professionals (e.g., plumbers, carpenters) attend formal training via apprenticeships, trade or technical schools, or training programs provided by employers. Some occupations require licensing, while others have voluntary certifications (administered by associations related to the specific trade). Licensing and certifications require renewal on a regular basis.

Those in management generally possess a college degree or significant experience in their specialty; they typically start their career as management trainees or assistants to construction managers. Those who become skilled in all areas of their trade and display sound and effective leadership abilities are in good standing for advancement to supervisory or construction management roles, followed by subsequent higher-level roles (e.g., large project superintendent).

Schools for Construction are listed in the column to the left.

The Subcategories tab lists career specialties for Construction, each of which has a full page profile on the site.

The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.

The Videos tab lets you watch videos describing many of the career specialties for Construction.