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Careers in Skilled Trades

Skilled tradespeople in the construction industry are creative individuals. They like to work with both their minds and their hands. They enjoy physical activity and working with a variety of tools. They get great satisfaction from being able to see their finished products each time they drive by a building they helped to construct.

Look around you ... wherever you are ... see how the skilled tradespeople of the construction industry have shaped your surroundings. They have constructed your streets and sidewalks, bridges and dams, your home and school, the movie theaters and shopping malls, offices and factories. Without skilled tradespeople we wouldn't have many of the things that make our lives easier and more enjoyable.

Men and women in the skilled trades are commonly called "journeymen". They need academic knowledge as well as technical skills. Journeymen usually learn their trade through a process called apprenticeship. Apprentices are required to take technical courses at the post-secondary level, in programs that last three to five years. They also receive specific, on-the-job training under the supervision of journeymen.

Skilled tradespeople in the construction industry start their work by using science and mathematics to make detailed measurements. They must be able to read blueprints, sketches and technical manuals. Good communication skills are important, too. Journeymen must be able to follow oral and written instructions and to express their ideas to others.

Apprentices earn great money and full fringe benefits even while they are still learning and generally don't pay tuition. When they reach journeyman status, they don't have the burden of student loans to repay and can earn more than the average college graduate with a bachelor's degree.

The construction industry provides limitless opportunities for exciting, challenging and demanding careers. In the Washtenaw County area these opportunities are growing - there are 73% more construction industry jobs here today than in 1991. The industry's highly skilled men and women are valuable members of our society. They, and their careers, will continue to be important in the future. While other careers will become outdated due to societal or technological changes, construction of buildings will always continue!