Construction Career Days

What Are They All About?

Construction Career Days are about Youth, the Construction Industry, and Partnerships of volunteers.

Youth is vital to the construction industry. Today's high school students represent the pool of workers from which the construction industry will recruit its future workforce. Construction Career Days expose high school students and adults to rewarding and diverse careers in the industry. The events offer students a career option that they otherwise may not have been aware of.

The Construction Industry is facing a severe shortage of skilled workers. If not addressed, the shortage will increase, affecting quality, safety, and our industry's overall ability to compete in building the infrastructure needed by an ever-growing population. The construction industry does not enjoy a visible and positive image among youth. Construction Career Days are designed to educate our youth about a friendlier and more professional industry that cares about them and their future.

Partnerships between industry, government, and education at the national, state and local levels are critical to improving the quality of life in our communities. Construction Career Days are strongly based on partnerships of volunteers working together for youth, industry and community. Career Day partnerships reach beyond planning and conducting events on career days. These partnerships also work towards enhancing career technology education, developing curricula that better prepare students for careers in the industry and increasing the diversity of the construction industry workforce.


The Program 

Construction Career Days are events devised to introduce high school students to the vast career opportunities and unlimited potential for advancement within the construction industries.

Supervised by professional operators, students participate in hands-on activities including the excitement of operating heavy equipment such as backhoes, bulldozers, excavators, front loaders and skid steers.

Exhibitors display the newest technologically advanced equipment that is utilized in constructing highways and buildings. Also, the latest high-tech tools used to build today's modern structures are exhibited. Skilled trades people demonstrate crafts such as brick laying, cement finishing, welding, plumbing, electrical installation, material testing and pipe laying. Colleges and employers make themselves available to discuss the process of career and educational advancement. 


Construction Today

The construction industry faces a most profound workforce crisis in the 21st century. Nationally, there are 250,000 unfilled positions at every level in the construction and transportation industries today. 

Employers are looking for more and better-trained service technicians, certified mechanics, equipment operators, skilled craftspeople, superintendents, civil engineers, architects, construction managers, surveyors, welders, and more. 

Today a "ditch digger" is a very complex machine. Its operator may earn in the neighborhood of $40,000-$50,000 per year. The computers on board have more power and technology than those on the landing module that took Neil Armstrong and his crew to the moon in 1969. Its repair manual is written on a college reading level.

Other industries can't match the opportunities to be found in construction. There are fewer barriers between you and that first job. Once hired, there is potential for rapid advancement, since older skilled workers are retiring faster than young workers are being trained in skilled crafts. There is no other profession in the world that has a higher percentage of workers that are able to start their own businesses.

The construction industry is booming. Without your talent, highways, utilities, hospitals, schools, office complexes, and homes for our growing population may never be built.


Career Day Locations in New York State

Albany/Schenectady/Troy
Located in Glenmont, New York at the Laborers Training Facility in April of each year. Visit the website at www.constructioncareerdays.org.

Rochester 
Rochester Careers in Construction Corps - Contact Brian Sampson at 585-586-5460 or at brian.sampson@robex.com.

Utica 
Construction Career Day - Contact Jack Endryck at 315-624-0276 or at mvbe@adelphi.net.

Ithaca
Construction Career Day - Contact Charade Kittle at 607-254-8987 or at loc589ofcmgr@cnymail.com.

Buffalo
Construction Career Day - Contact Gary Bernardo (Laborers) at 716-913-3995 or at gbb.thumper@verizon.net.

Syracuse
Construction Career Day - Contact Audrey Crosby - Barrett Paving at 315-652-4585 or at acrosby@barrettpaving.com.

Finger Lakes
Construction Career Days - Contact Debbie Sowards - Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board at 315-789-3131 or at flwibds@rochester.rr.com.

NYC and Long Island
These locations are in development.  Please contact the downstate Career Days Consultant Frank Marchese Jr. at 518-449-1715 or at fmarchesejr@nysliuna.org.

 
For more information on Construction Career Days and how you can participate, please contact Brendan Manning at GBC of NYS at 518-869-2207, ext. 17 or via e-mail at brendanm@gbcnys.agc.org