Construction is not just nails and steel and mud and concrete. It’s highways and skyscrapers, it’s parks and playgrounds, it’s lakes and water treatment plants, dams and oil refineries, and it’s high-tech. New technology combined with today’s brightest construction workers provide us with safer ways to travel, shelter for the homeless, buildings in which children are educated and the sick are healed. Without construction, few other industries could exist.

Thousands of men and women work "behind the scenes" to build America every day. They are equipment operators, truck drivers, electricians, pipefitters, masons, carpenters, sheet metal workers, painters, engineers, supervisors, project managers, and hundreds of other workers. They watch their workplace change everyday; they live in a world of action.

The construction industry is the biggest industry in the nation. It accounts for more than $100 billion annually - nearly 12% of the country’s gross national product. Nearly 5 million men and women are employed in the construction industry, and in the the years to come even more will be needed. Will you be ready?

Career opportunities are nearly unlimited in the construction industry. There are many different jobs for many different people. Each job has it’s own advantages, responsibilities, and rewards for those who are qualified. Salaries are flexible, they depend on you; your abilities, effort, initiative, and dedication are the major factors. Some construction careers require specialized training, while others require a broad understanding of the total project, gained only after years of experience.

No matter which path you think you’d like to take for a career in construction, you must finish high school to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities the industry has to offer. This is true if you want to be an apprentice, or if you want to be a construction engineer. A high school diploma is the key to your career in construction. After that, it’s all up to you.