October is Careers in Construction Month

Words: Jennifer WilkersonNCCER and its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative are once again declaring October as Careers in Construction Month. Throughout the month, industry and education partner locally to host career events that introduce students to rewarding construction careers.

This year, governors in Nevada, Utah, Nebraska, Texas, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi have all proclaimed Careers in Construction Month in their states. It is not too late for other states to do the same. Any state resident can file a proclamation for his or her governor to sign. To simplify the process, BYF offers proclamation guidelines for each state and a sample proclamation at byf.org.

BYF also provides a number of online resources at byf.org to make it easy for organizations to host career day events during Careers in Construction Month, such as a career day guide, field manual and helpful hints. Organizations can also register their events at byf.org/register for added publicity.

In celebration of Careers in Construction Month, NCCER and BYF have teamed up to create the “I BUILT THIS” video contest, giving aspiring craft professionals and their instructors an opportunity to showcase their construction projects. The contest is open through Oct. 18 to students and instructors in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs. In the videos, contestants will describe their projects, share their favorite construction careers and explain what they enjoy most about the industry. First place winners will receive GoPro HERO cameras and second place winners will receive Google Chromecast streaming devices. For official rules or to submit a video, visit nccer.org/I-BUILT-THIS.

With a projected shortage of 1.5 million craft professionals by 2019, now is the time to promote construction careers in each state. Recognizing October as Careers in Construction Month can generate added publicity for the construction industry and help promote career opportunities.

To learn more, visit byf.org. For the latest news and updates on career events visit facebook.com/BYFcampaign and follow twitter.com/buildyourfuture.
Chairman’s Message: When Things Don’t Go as Planned
June 2026

Not every day in this business goes the way we planned. Some days, everything lines up. The crew is moving well. Materials are on time. The job is flowing the way you hoped it would. And then there are the other days. The ones where something breaks. T

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Fechino Files: Trust Your Subs, Just Document!
June 2026

When I was working for a large masonry contractor, we typically performed masonry work with our own employees. When we would construct large Segmental Retaining Walls, often we would require a subcontractor who had larger equipment for different portions

Steve Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Borobudur
June 2026

For masonry contractors and suppliers, few structures offer as much practical insight as Borobudur. Built in the 9th century in Central Java, this massive stone monument remains as one of the most advanced examples of large-scale masonry construction ever

Cassandra Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
Wrapping Up Our Year And A Look Ahead
June 2026

It is amazing another year has gone by and what a year it has been. We have seen a lot of progress on so many fronts. All of this happens specifically due to the support of our members. Your support this past year is positioning our industry to make huge

Jeff B
President's Message
Read More