Who Can Work in Construction? And Why You’ll Want to Do It

Since most construction jobs don’t require a college degree (and some don’t even require a high school diploma), there’s a common misconception that anyone could work in our industry. Another widely accepted perception of the construction industry is that it’s just for men, which couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, construction isn’t just for any one gender, personality type, or level of education, but it also isn’t for everyone – there are indeed some special skills that are necessary to have a successful construction career. In this article, we’ll talk all about who can work in construction and why it’s such an amazing career choice.

Construction is Inclusive

Contrary to popular opinion, construction jobs aren’t just for men. Further, working in construction is in no way limited to any certain gender, race, religion, orientation, or ethnicity. We work hard to fight the stereotypes plastered to the construction industry everyday to make it inclusive to all.

Right now, less than 10% of our workforce are female, and less than 8% are Black or Asian. Construction is a severely underrepresented field, but we want to see that change. At least here at Redstone, we look for skilled workers, period. Everyone is welcome here, as long as they work hard.

So, Who Can’t Work in Construction?

Construction jobs are amazing opportunities for anyone to learn a skilled trade. If you are willing to practice and work hard to be good at your job, you can go far! However, construction requires learned skills. It’s a wide-spread myth that our work is unskilled labor and easy to do. Though it may not be in a college classroom, construction professionals receive extensive training and education in order to master their skill. After all, we build things that get used everyday that if done incorrectly could be catastrophic (buildings, roads, etc.).

Many construction sub-specialties require long and extensive apprenticeships, much like a degree. Science, math, engineering, technology… These are all subjects that many construction professionals use on a daily basis on the job. Our work is not simple. Though many of us start at the bottom, the majority of construction professionals have trained long and hard to master their skills.

Who Should Work in Construction?

So if anyone can work in construction, but not everyone should work in construction, who is this industry for? To put it plainly, you need to be hardworking, willing and eager to learn, and dedicated to your career to succeed in this field. It’s okay to start out knowing nothing, as long as you desire to learn as much as you can. To have a good career in construction, you can’t be afraid of a little hard work, some failures along the way, and new challenges every day. You should be a problem solver who gets excited to take a new situation head on, and you should be the kind of person who never thinks they’re the smartest in the room. There is always room to learn. 

If you’re looking to get started in construction, check out Redstone! We may be biased, but we have a pretty amazing team and some fantastic construction career opportunities available for professionals with skills at all levels. Check out our current open positions and apply today – https://redstone-cg.com/careers/