| For those people who are not interested in much | | | | seriously inclement weather can result in shutting |
| education beyond high school level, a career as a | | | | down the construction site for a period. Workers |
| construction worker is a good choice. A high school | | | | may or may not receive benefits such as health |
| or GED certificate is enough to get a job doing | | | | insurance. The work week usually is 40 hours with |
| physical labor at a construction site. If you want | | | | few if any paid holidays. Sometimes overnight travel |
| more specialized construction work, you should look | | | | is required such as when a highway crew is working |
| into the possibility of apprenticeship training or skill | | | | at a distance from home base. |
| classes at a community college, vocational or trade | | | | For those workers who want to advance, |
| school. | | | | apprenticeships or trade school classes are typical. |
| If you are just out of high school and thinking about | | | | The worker may learn to operate specialized tools. |
| the type of career you want to pursue, you should | | | | Handling drills, jackhammers or more specialized |
| consider applying for work as a common laborer at a | | | | construction tools is a way for the worker to |
| construction site. In many instances jobs do not | | | | improve skills. Some types of construction work |
| require belonging to a union; other types of work in | | | | require even more study and experience. Workers |
| construction go only to union members. About 14 | | | | handling hazardous materials or those working |
| percent of workers on construction sites belong to a | | | | underground must have special skills and training. |
| union of some sort. | | | | Wage expectations for construction personnel are |
| Workers are needed in every type of building site. | | | | related to the seniority or experience on the job and |
| They build houses and commercial buildings. Workers | | | | for the skill level required. In 2008, median wage |
| participate in building highways, bridges, tunnels and | | | | levels were just under $14 per hour. Supervisory |
| residential sites. High rise building construction is a | | | | positions earn approximately twice as much on the |
| totally different experience than building a spec house | | | | average. Overtime work is not typical, but long hours |
| in a suburb, but workers are needed in both types of | | | | may be needed if a project must be finished in a |
| building. | | | | short time. |
| Entry level jobs will vary depending on the type of | | | | The job outlook for an entry level construction |
| construction site involved. A laborer may load or | | | | worker is better than average for the next decade. |
| unload construction supplies and equipment. Site | | | | A combination of federally funded projects during |
| cleaning or preparation may be a part of the general | | | | attempts at economic recovery spending and green |
| duties. Tasks are usually low skill level, but may be | | | | project jobs mean that about a twenty percent |
| physically demanding. In order to qualify for higher | | | | increase in jobs is projected. For the individual willing |
| paying jobs, the worker needs to complete extra | | | | and able to do hard physical labor in all types of |
| training. This is sometimes funded by the employer. | | | | weather, this industry provides excellent |
| Workers participate in projects indoors or outdoors. | | | | opportunities. |
| They may work in all types of weather, although | | | | |