Construction Trades: Now and Future Forward
Students create the built environment. The construction trades – carpenters, electricians, welders, plumbers and pipefitters, and more – build structures ranging from homes to skyscrapers to stadiums. Construction is 4.4% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and employs eight million people. In 2023, this sector was valued at nearly $2 trillion and supported over 900,000 construction establishments. Illinois is one of the top three states for construction job salaries at a mean average of $77,709 annually.

The construction trades demand both critical thinking skills and great attention to detail in its workforce. Building communities requires learners to master a foundational knowledge of construction systems as well as specialized areas of focus for more intense hands-on, minds-on learning.

Now and going forward, we know that the Construction Trades demand both critical thinking skills and great attention to detail in its workforce. Building communities requires learners to master a foundational knowledge of construction systems as well as specialized areas of focus for more intense hands-on, minds-on learning.

Some of the current and future IT career opportunities for which learners would prepare include:

• Brazer and Solderer
• Carpenter
• Construction Manager
• Electrician
• HVAC Technician
• Pipefitter and Steamfitter
• Plumber
• Welder and Cutter