Development and Testing of a Career Comparison Tool for Promoting Careers in Construction

Demand for skilled labor in the construction industry has grown consistently for the past several years. The increase in demand has consistently raised skilled worker pay and is raising the cost of construction. Regions within the United States are seeing the negative impact on construction spending due to high construction costs. Construction associations around the country are placing a great amount of time and money into attracting the next generation of construction workers. In 2018, a tool was developed to help promote the opportunities in the construction industry and to attract new skilled workers. The WorkConstruction.org (WCO) Career Comparison Tool was developed and tested to help potential workers gain a better outlook on career salaries. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics the tool provides a financial analysis of 106 different careers. The tool compares two selected careers and provides a complete financial analysis over a twenty-year time period. The tool was tested with construction management students to identify millennials’ perspective of the tool’s effectiveness. Upon introduction of the tool, participants were more likely to select a high paying career in construction, compared to a non-construction related career that requires higher education. Ninety-three percent of the participants identified that the tool would be extremely helpful or very helpful for promoting the industry with the next generation of workers.