Construction Careers Experience Highest Increase Ever
The National Association of Home Builders has been publishing news articles that tout the increased need for construction workers throughout the entire United States, and this need was reflected during this year’s Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction career fair. The result of the job fair for the students was 100% employment for all students who attended the fair. The need for construction employees, whether they are workers, sub-contractors, or project managers, was one reason that the fair was so successful; but the other reason was the location of the career fair.
Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction offers a program which not only trains students in their field
or major but also teaches life skills and professional skills which are highly desired by potential employers.
“There is simply not enough young talent being produced to keep up with the growth. This particular school is preparing them not only with construction techniques, but life skills and professional skills,” says Ken Taylor, executive vice president of W.M. Jordan Company, who graduated from Virginia Tech’s building construction program in 1979.
In addition the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the U.S. News & World Report also released a study that showed the popularity of construction-based majors, saying that enrollment in construction-related majors grew by 26.4% over the past year at four-year colleges and universities. Right now, this increase holds the record for the highest increase of any major ever, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Construction careers are projected to have the fastest growth of all occupations over the next decade (adding more than 7.2 million construction jobs by 2024) by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meanwhile, for the students of Virginia Tech, the 900 participants who attended the career fair were offered jobs with starting salaries of at least $66,000. More than 117 companies showed up to this career fair, and other companies had to be turned away from getting a booth at the fair.
