High school students are inundated with choices. While you can’t help them with decisions about what to wear or who to date, we understand your role in helping them decide what to do after graduation. We ask you to take a fresh look at the options available in a career in construction.

Too often those jobs are characterized as manual labor. In fact, the industry needs individuals with advanced degrees and training in business and computer savvy positions such as project managers, estimators and planners, as well as skilled trades specialists. Construction careers can be lucrative and rewarding. Job opportunities are plentiful and expected to increase over 10% through 2016. And it’s not just skilled trades’ careers—administration, design and construction management careers are all on the rise.

A career in construction starts with good pay and benefits, along with the potential to advance into even better paying jobs and the opportunity for workers to be their own boss. In the next ten years the construction industry will need additional workers to cover new work and a retiring workforce.

It has never been easier to receive the training or education needed to get started. In Wisconsin there are more than 15 schools and colleges that offer courses or certifications in construction. Students can also earn while they learn through a variety of apprenticeship programs.

Help Your Students

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin wants to help your students get their construction careers started by offering them a chance to win $1,000 for tuition or training expenses. Encourage your students to check out the videos and interactive game on this website. To obtain more information about construction careers or to locate a construction professionals to come to your school, contact the AGC of Wisconsin.

Construction Career Academies

The AGC of Wisconsin Construction Career Academy is a high school level education program that integrates academia with technical education in construction related fields, identifying the relevance of one to the other and thereby improving student understanding and retention.

High School graduates, earning a Certificate from the Construction Career Academy, are educated to pursue employment opportunities in the construction trades and/or apprenticeship programs or pursue further college education at the technical college and/or university level.

The Construction Career Academy format is flexible and portable, thereby allowing it to accommodate programs unique to particular high schools and be implemented statewide.

To learn more about the Construction Career Academy opportunity, Click Here or contact buildwisconsin@agcwi.org.

DPI Construction Skills Certificate Program

The first paid school-to-work program for the construction industry is now available to high school students. The 475 hour paid work experience combines with classroom learning to provide an outstanding opportunity to learn about construction careers. Students, employed by an area contractor, have the opportunity to participate first hand in multiple careers in the construction industry. Visit the DPI Website for more information on this exciting opportunity for the student to make money and enhance their portfolio.

Even as the economy fluctuates, the construction industry continues to see robust growth and an abundance of job opportunities. With competition for jobs getting tougher, your advice early on in students’ decisions will help them decide what they want to do with their lives. A career in construction may be the best decision they’ll ever make.