3 answers
Israel
Student
Yuma, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
267 views
How can you become a construction worker?
Hello my name is Israel and my question is what kinds of education and how many years do you need to become a construction worker. Another question is what types of jobs are there of construction. One more question is if and how can you promote in the job. Sincerely Israel.
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3 answers
Oleg Kushnerov
Construction Project Manager
17
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Oleg’s Answer
Hi Israel,
You don't need experience to start in construction. If you can hammer nails or paint walls, you're already a beginner. While some skills can be learned in a classroom, most are picked up on the job with help from experienced workers and foremen.
There are many roles you can explore, like painter, carpenter, flooring installer, tile setter, cabinet installer, plumber, or electrician. There are over 17 trades in construction, and you can even specialize in installing fire suppression sprinkler systems to save lives.
As you gain experience, you can share your knowledge and become a foreman, and later, a superintendent. If you enjoy managing schedules and people, you could become a project manager. For further growth, you might consider becoming a construction project manager or even running your own construction firm.
You don't need experience to start in construction. If you can hammer nails or paint walls, you're already a beginner. While some skills can be learned in a classroom, most are picked up on the job with help from experienced workers and foremen.
There are many roles you can explore, like painter, carpenter, flooring installer, tile setter, cabinet installer, plumber, or electrician. There are over 17 trades in construction, and you can even specialize in installing fire suppression sprinkler systems to save lives.
As you gain experience, you can share your knowledge and become a foreman, and later, a superintendent. If you enjoy managing schedules and people, you could become a project manager. For further growth, you might consider becoming a construction project manager or even running your own construction firm.
Liam Rielly
Data Center Technician
180
Answers
Manassas, Virginia
Updated
Liam’s Answer
I think the answers here are really good so I am going to try to answer a different way.
Yes there is electrician, iron worker, steam fitter, pipe fitter, concrete, drywall, carpenter, glazier, etc. Those workers are skilled labor with a specialty. Just with those you can split them up further. An electrician can do only primary power, branch circuiting, fire alarm, communication cabling, lights, telecom, and so on. A steam fitter can do industrial, utility water, HVAC lines, and so on. These will be a specialty in each branch. I can't list them all and I don't even know all of the specialties there are!
I am going to list the common levels there are that exist almost within each company and the levels that someone can have in that specialty. I'll start with introductory level jobs and then go to the level with high skill and qualification.
The entry level is LABORER - a laborer is essentially moving materials around a job site. They may have some tools but they are not specialized in using tools. There is a need for laborers on every job no matter what and is usually someone's first job in construction. A laborer might be called a helper as well.
Next is APPRENTICE - an apprentice is someone new to a trade but is working with tools and under the supervision of a master and journeyman. The apprentice is usually in school or a program to help them get to journeyman but they are not the competent worker on the job. The apprentice is also trying to build professional skills to hopefully one day run a job or company themselves.
Then there is JOURNEYMAN - a journeyman is able to do the full scale of the trade on the job. A journeyman usually has a license in the state or area they live and are able to do work independently of their company or for different companies. A journeyman is usually someone that is qualified to make decisions about work being done on the job.
There is a FOREMAN - this is the one looking after the journeyman, the apprentice, the laborers, and their section of the job. They are coordinating the work to be done so it does not interfere with other trades or hold up work on the job. The foreman is the leader on the job and may assign a sub-foreman to delegate specific tasks on the job.
Above the foreman is the MASTER - the master tradesman has their name on the job. The construction permits, blueprints, insurance, and other administrative paperwork are all signed by the master and the master is responsible for the actual work delivered. The master will worry about the money spent on the job and work with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to make sure that the entire job passes code requirements in that region.
The master will work with an ENGINEER - the engineer will do the math, draft the plans, work directly with the customer, work with the equipment manufacturers, and work with other engineers to make sure the function of the construction works without a problem. The engineer has the qualification to say that something will work safely on the job and has legal responsibilities for safety of the building.
The engineer will work with an ARCHITECT - this is the person with the vision of the entire building or campus. They are concerned with not only the front of the buildings but also the handles on the sinks in the bathrooms and the lights in the utility closet. The architect works with all of the trades and engineers to make sure the building is coordinated correctly and looks like the plans that were originally drawn. The architect will make sure that a sprinkler head is not in the same place as a light in the ceiling for example but it will be up to the journeyman and the foreman of both companies to ensure a mistake like that actually does not happen.
Usually the laborer, apprentice, journeyman, foreman, and master tradesman are one company; the engineer and architect are a different company.
The normal progression is to start as a laborer, become an apprentice, top off as a journeyman. Then as a journeyman you become a foreman, as a foreman you decide to get a masters license. An engineer or architect requires a lot of schooling so they may work as an apprentice temporarily but are usually working within a firm in order to get their experience rather than on the job.
A skilled labor foreman is usually seen as a the "boss on the job" and is the one calling the shots for large construction sites. You should remain open minded and try to grow within any field that you are in, but these are the common levels on the job in a construction environment.
Yes there is electrician, iron worker, steam fitter, pipe fitter, concrete, drywall, carpenter, glazier, etc. Those workers are skilled labor with a specialty. Just with those you can split them up further. An electrician can do only primary power, branch circuiting, fire alarm, communication cabling, lights, telecom, and so on. A steam fitter can do industrial, utility water, HVAC lines, and so on. These will be a specialty in each branch. I can't list them all and I don't even know all of the specialties there are!
I am going to list the common levels there are that exist almost within each company and the levels that someone can have in that specialty. I'll start with introductory level jobs and then go to the level with high skill and qualification.
The entry level is LABORER - a laborer is essentially moving materials around a job site. They may have some tools but they are not specialized in using tools. There is a need for laborers on every job no matter what and is usually someone's first job in construction. A laborer might be called a helper as well.
Next is APPRENTICE - an apprentice is someone new to a trade but is working with tools and under the supervision of a master and journeyman. The apprentice is usually in school or a program to help them get to journeyman but they are not the competent worker on the job. The apprentice is also trying to build professional skills to hopefully one day run a job or company themselves.
Then there is JOURNEYMAN - a journeyman is able to do the full scale of the trade on the job. A journeyman usually has a license in the state or area they live and are able to do work independently of their company or for different companies. A journeyman is usually someone that is qualified to make decisions about work being done on the job.
There is a FOREMAN - this is the one looking after the journeyman, the apprentice, the laborers, and their section of the job. They are coordinating the work to be done so it does not interfere with other trades or hold up work on the job. The foreman is the leader on the job and may assign a sub-foreman to delegate specific tasks on the job.
Above the foreman is the MASTER - the master tradesman has their name on the job. The construction permits, blueprints, insurance, and other administrative paperwork are all signed by the master and the master is responsible for the actual work delivered. The master will worry about the money spent on the job and work with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to make sure that the entire job passes code requirements in that region.
The master will work with an ENGINEER - the engineer will do the math, draft the plans, work directly with the customer, work with the equipment manufacturers, and work with other engineers to make sure the function of the construction works without a problem. The engineer has the qualification to say that something will work safely on the job and has legal responsibilities for safety of the building.
The engineer will work with an ARCHITECT - this is the person with the vision of the entire building or campus. They are concerned with not only the front of the buildings but also the handles on the sinks in the bathrooms and the lights in the utility closet. The architect works with all of the trades and engineers to make sure the building is coordinated correctly and looks like the plans that were originally drawn. The architect will make sure that a sprinkler head is not in the same place as a light in the ceiling for example but it will be up to the journeyman and the foreman of both companies to ensure a mistake like that actually does not happen.
Usually the laborer, apprentice, journeyman, foreman, and master tradesman are one company; the engineer and architect are a different company.
The normal progression is to start as a laborer, become an apprentice, top off as a journeyman. Then as a journeyman you become a foreman, as a foreman you decide to get a masters license. An engineer or architect requires a lot of schooling so they may work as an apprentice temporarily but are usually working within a firm in order to get their experience rather than on the job.
A skilled labor foreman is usually seen as a the "boss on the job" and is the one calling the shots for large construction sites. You should remain open minded and try to grow within any field that you are in, but these are the common levels on the job in a construction environment.
Phong Tran
Technician
3
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Phong’s Answer
Hello Israel
Any year education you can become a construction worker, but if you have more year learning will help you work and they pay you more and big thing you need is strong and stronger.
Alot of trade you can follow but electrician and HVAC you spent more learning for them.
Good luck
PT
Any year education you can become a construction worker, but if you have more year learning will help you work and they pay you more and big thing you need is strong and stronger.
Alot of trade you can follow but electrician and HVAC you spent more learning for them.
Good luck
PT