Spearheaded by NCCER and Build Your Future (BYF), the seventh annual Careers in Construction Month is in full swing this October. Forty states, Guam, the U.S. 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.
Graduate reactions
When asked if graduates from their craft training programs are happy with their career choice, Jimmy Green, president and CEO at Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Michigan Chapter, shares, “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. The group will also release more during October: Get Started in Construction: Build Your Future Street Series; and Discover Success.
BYF has also unveiled new resources for educators and industry representatives. These highlight 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.
“I Built This” Video Competition
In addition, both 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. It also includes the popular People’s Choice, which gives the public the chance to vote on their favorite. For official rules or to submit a video, visit nccer.org/I-BUILT-THIS.
Proclaiming October as Careers in Construction Month is already making an impression this year. The following states have 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.
To learn more and register an event for additional promotion, visit byf.org. For the latest news, infographics, stats and more, like facebook.com/BYFcampaign and follow twitter.com/buildyourfuture.
About NCCER
NCCER is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) education foundation. The construction industry created it to develop standardized curriculum and assessments with portable credentials and certifications to help develop skilled craft professionals. NCCER provides a comprehensive workforce development system that includes training, assessment, certification and career development solutions for the construction and maintenance industries. For more information, either visit nccer.org or contact NCCER customer service at 888.622.3720.
About Build Your Future
Build Your Future (BYF) is NCCER’s national image enhancement and recruitment initiative for the construction industry. Its mission is to recruit the next generation of craft professionals. They do this by making career and technical education a priority in secondary schools. They also aim at shifting negative public perception about careers in the construction industry. Additionally, they aim at providing a path from ambition, to training, to job placement as a craft professional. BYF provides a number of resources to assist industry, education and military organizations in achieving these goals. This includes a parent and educator focused website: discover.byf.org. For further information, visit byf.org.
