Career Advancement For Construction

The construction industry is responsible for building bridges, schools, houses, factories, office buildings, roads, apartment buildings, and many other new structures including improvements, modifications, repairs, maintenance, and additions, to existing ones. The three major segments of the construction industry are specialty trade contractors, general contractors, and civil engineering and heavy construction contractors. For people interested in finding out about career advancement for construction workers, there are many opportunities available to them.

General or building contractors work building commercial, industrial, residential, and other buildings. Some laborers in the general contracting field will accept career advancement for construction opportunities and change to working in the specialty-trade contracting segment. The specialty trade contractors perform the electrical work, painting, carpentry, and plumbing related to construction. Civil and heavy engineering contractors build roads, tunnels, bridges, highways, and other projects.

Construction laborers are found at every construction site and perform a huge range of jobs from potentially hazardous to relatively easy. They work on highways, buildings, demolition sites, shaft and tunnel excavations, heavy construction sites and many other places. Construction laborers prepare and clean construction sites; help other construction crewmembers; identify, unload, and distribute building supplies and materials; and control traffic around work zones. Along with overall good health and physical strength, some construction laborers perform jobs that require skill, experience and training, while others need very little skill and learn on the job in a short period. To achieve career advancement for construction, many laborers will specialize in a specific area or type of construction such as underground construction.

Construction laborers can pursue career advancement for construction positions such as construction equipment operators by taking formal apprenticeship programs or acquiring on the job skills. Equipment operators use machinery to move heavy materials, earth, and other construction materials on construction sites. They operate equipment used to grade and clear land for buildings, roads, neighborhoods, and shopping malls; apply concrete and asphalt to highways, structures, and roads; dig trenches for pipelines and sewers; and many other types of heavy construction equipment. Many light construction equipment operators will take career advancement for construction formal training programs, such as operating engineer apprenticeship programs, to learn more skills that not only allow them to work with heavy equipment but also improve their job opportunities.

Some of the many opportunities in career advancement for construction workers and laborers include tractor-trailer and heavy truck drivers, material moving occupations, agricultural equipment operators, and construction supervisors. They expect the job outlook for both construction equipment operators and construction laborers to remain positive for the next seven years.