There is currently not enough information available about career opportunities in the construction industry. This means that educating everybody about our industry is critical, especially our education system. It is more important than ever for contractors to connect with educators at the local level. Members of industry can do this by providing opportunities for presentations and field trips and by joining advisory boards to offer input about the knowledge and skills the industry expects from new entrants.
In February 2011, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education published a landmark report, Pathways to Prosperity (download available below), which outlined the need for multiple career pathways to be incorporated into America’s education system. Pathways to Prosperity quickly became a call to action for states wanting to prepare their students for success. NCCER used its voice in the industry to start calling on the construction industry to re-engage with career and technical education. This has been a goal of NCCER and its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative since 1997 and has been reinforced in recent years through the release of a multitude of teacher resources, videos, and student outreach guides (free registration required).
In response to national interest, NCCER kicked off the Construction Career Pathways initiative at the Association for Career and Technical Education’s (ACTE) annual conference in December 2013. Based on the success and interest garnered at this event, NCCER began developing guidance documents to provide specific steps to assist educators and contractors in their efforts to make meaningful connections. At this year’s ACTE annual conference, NCCER is hosting the Construction Career Pathways Conference. Speakers from both industry and education will present their successful partnerships, answer questions, and provide guidance on how to build construction career pathways in states. The free conference takes place on November 19 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Registration is open through November 11.
At NCCER and BYF, it is our goal to connect industry demand with education and training. We strongly believe that the development and implementation of a plan that is jointly created and endorsed by industry and education will help students acquire the skills they need to succeed and obtain the American dream. Together, we can build stronger career pathways for tomorrow’s craft professionals.
Click on image and on link above to view more information about the conference, and download a copy of the 2011 Harvard report in the attachment below.
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