BUILDING PHILADELPHIA’S FUTURE: GBCA’S CONSTRUCTION CAREER DAY

BY MARYBETH GERDELMANN | GENERAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

On May 21, GBCA hosted its inaugural Construction Career Day, spotlighting Philadelphia’s construction industry and encouraging career exploration for tomorrow’s generation.

Over 300 middle school and high school students from the Philadelphia region visited the Finishing Trades Institute in Northeast Philadelphia to learn about education, apprenticeships and job opportunities in different Philadelphia trades.

Career Day aligns with GBCA’s commitment to future growth and is one of its initiatives to engage future generations with workforce development programs that positively impact Greater Philadelphia’s construction industry.

Career Day Highlights and Activities

Throughout the day, students participated in giveaways, handson activities and listened to industry professionals share their experiences working in the Philadelphia construction industry.

Students visited thirteen representatives set up in different booths to talk to professionals from local universities and construction companies. Each representative provided information explaining education, career paths and the resources available to help students get involved in the construction industry.

Informational workforce development cards, modeled off baseball trading cards, were handed out to students as take- home material. Each card provided the typical salary and job activities for a specific role in the construction industry such as laborer, project manager, drywall finisher, and estimator. The cards offered students an informational overview of the many career options within the construction industry.

Hands-on activities helped students get a feel for what a job in the construction industry entails. The virtual job site experience with the Cement Masons and Plasterers demonstrated what the role of a typical cement mason and plasterer on a job site looks like. Maplewoodshop hosted a woodworking activity that gave students information about the tools and benefits of a career in woodworking. Jefferson University staff led an interactive activity building log cabins out of popsicle sticks.

Industry professionals like Angelina Perryman of Perryman Construction spoke to the students about her personal experience in the industry, sharing advice to pursue a career path in the construction industry and providing insights into the history of Perryman Construction.

Looking to the Future

GBCA is committed to growing the future of tomorrow’s generation in the construction industry. Career Day aligns with that commitment, providing a path of outreach to engage students in career exploration within the construction industry.

Developing and highlighting workforce development programs for students is important in GBCA’s commitment to future growth. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeships in construction have grown significantly over the past 10 years. In Pennsylvania, nearly 10,000 more apprenticeships have been created since 2014, with Philadelphia having one of the largest numbers of available apprenticeships.

Build Your Career in Construction, a great GBCA resource for career exploration, highlights ways to get started when pursuing a career in the trades. In this book, GBCA provides a job description, as well as a contact information for those looking for a job or apprenticeship. This tool provides the stepping stones towards building a successful career in the construction industry. To learn more, visit gbca.com.

Construction Career Day is just one of the ways GBCA plans to reach students and educate them about opportunities in construction. Opportunities, like apprenticeships, are becoming more readily available. Through outreach like Career Day, GBCA spreads awareness to school-aged students, encouraging career exploration within the construction industry.

Representatives included:

∙ ACE Mentor Program of Greater Philadelphia

∙ Employing Bricklayers Association

∙ Employing Bricklayers Association

∙ Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters

∙ Cement Masons & Plasterers

∙ Drexel University

∙ Finishing Trades Institute

∙ Everybody Builds Philadelphia

∙ Jefferson University

∙ Laborers’ District Council

∙ Mechanical & Service Contractors Association

∙ Maplewoodshop

∙ OSHA

∙ Sheet Metal Workers Local 19