Overcoming Construction Stereotypes

How do we overcome the stereotypes that many younger students have about the construction industry?  There is definitely an image issue that the construction industry is dealing with.  When picturing a construction worker, many people envision a guy with a tool belt hanging low, someone who's not very bright, who maybe didn't graduate from high school or even get a GED, who took a job in construction because that was the best job that he could get; however the stereotype-versus-reality is totally out of line.  

Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. is not letting this image stand unchallenged.  They are using school programs, training courses, NCCER Certification and the internet to help change the image of laborers and craftsmen in an effort to draw more people into the field.  Marek is also trying to let young people know that there are opportunities to advance.

The future of the construction industry is in our neighborhood schools.  It is critical that we tell young people, parents, and teachers what a great industry construction is.  Not enough graduates from the schools are coming into our field to fill all of the available spots.  There is a void of interested and skilled candidates in labor and also in management, and we think one of the reasons is past perceptions of what a construction worker is.

Common misperceptions peg construction-related jobs as low-paying, filled only by men who are unskilled.  The reality is that much of the work requires advanced skills and is rewarded with good pay and benefits.  People in construction make good money and take pride in knowing that their work is a craft.  Construction should be thought of as a career and not just a job.  The construction industry is more than framing walls and hammering nails.  With several opportunities for advancement, a career in construction offers many ways a person may move up the career ladder and enjoy a lucrative and fulfilling vocation.