During October’s Careers in Construction Month, Associated Builders and Contractors encourages students, women, minorities, veterans, seekers of a second career or re-entering citizens looking for a profession with life-long learning and limitless potential for growth and advancement to check out construction.

No college degree is required, and the construction industry’s earn-while-you-learn educational model means you can cultivate invaluable skills for your dream job with no debt. ABC member contractors help apprentices earn a living while they gain real-world experience as employees on jobsites.

In fact, ABC contractors invested $1.6 billion in 2021 to educate their employees to provide 1.3 million course attendees with craft, leadership and safety education to advance their careers in commercial and industrial construction.

That’s a serious commitment to building the people who build America.

ABC’s 68 chapters and their affiliates offer more than 800 apprenticeship, craft, safety and construction management education programs — including 300 government-registered apprenticeship programs — across the country. Here in Alabama, ABC offers the Academy of Craft Training.

For college-bound future builders, construction management is a high-paying, in-demand profession. ABC’s National Student Chapter Network offers students mentoring, internships, career fairs and other services, often leading to multiple job offers before graduation.

Whether your passion is a craft like carpentry, electrical, plumbing or welding; a leadership position like project manager; or a high-tech career, ABC can help you achieve your construction career dreams.

Visit //abc.org/workforce to learn how ABC is building construction career dreams.

Associated Builders and Contractors Chair Deepa Bhate is CEO/founder of Building & Earth Sciences in Birmingham.