Welcome back to the Blackjack Industrial blog, where we are dedicated to providing our readers with the information they are seeking, from fostering a safer environment at the job site to understanding why wildfire seasons are getting worse. These are the topics of interest to our industry, our people, and so we provide. One of those is this: construction worker education.
To some of us that might sound silly. As one of the more hands-on trades, it is often that folks get into it after already having a knack for it, learning under their family, or other ‘traditional’ routes. But, it is a trade skill, and as they become more popular options as opposed to going to college, people who previously have never held a tool find themselves considering the career path. So, where do they get started? You have a few options.
Building Your Construction Worker Education
There is not any specific education requirement to become a construction worker, so how you wish to start is entirely dependent on you, what you think you can handle or what makes you the most comfortable.
Hands-on Experience
As there is no specific course of education for an entry-level construction job, there is nothing stopping anyone from entering the job site, picking up a tool, or moving some materials around and learning as you – provided there is a crew willing to take you on. This is usually a perfect example of the old adage, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’
Trade School
Attending a trade school might be the avenue of choice if you seek a more rigorous and standardized approach to your learning. At these, students will learn all the basics of the various constructions trades and specializations. From determining the best building materials for projects and how to install them properly with the proper tools. The reading and understanding of blueprints shop drawings and the basics of building codes are all a part of a comprehensive curriculum. Essentially, you are getting a well-rounded education on construction from top to bottom.
College
Believe it or not, going to college can be a huge benefit to the path of a construction worker, but is by no means a necessity! In getting a degree in addition to the years spent on the job site, you can position yourself as the clear candidate for advancement, of course, whether or not that college degree is respected more than experience comes down to your own skills.
Remember, a construction career doesn’t end at framing. It can lead you to a specialization like plumbing, electrical, welding, maintenance, HVAC tech – all of which are in-demand skillsets that you can take anywhere. And that’s a part of the greatness of this career.
Whichever way you approach the first steps on your construction worker education, remember why you’re doing it. No one steps into construction because it’s easy. Because they make a great buck day one. They do it because it’s what they are skilled in, what they enjoy, because they like building things and having the results of their labor right there. They can point at the skyline and tell their family ‘I built that.’ It’s a powerful sentiment.
Now, of course, we’d be in the wrong if we didn’t encourage safety here while we are at it. When you get out there, remember to use equipment and tools properly, and to always have the best gear. That includes Blackjack Industrial’s strap retention systems – they allow you to see what you’re doing, and not risk any slips or jostling of your light sources, keeping your headlamps firmly in place. If you are just starting out on your construction worker education, good luck! If you’re on the job site and need the gear to keep you and your guys safe, give us a call!