Need a Job? The Home Building Industry Might Be the Right Fit

IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF A JOB, looking for a career change, searching for a high-paying position or just need a fulfilling career where you get to create with your

hands, the construction industry needs you. Workforce shortages are creating an incredible opportunity for people looking for change. There are endless opportunities right now in a number of different areas of the homebuilding industry. If you’re open to change, there’s an opportunity waiting for you.

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY is open to everyone of all skill and education levels. The traditional college degree is often unnecessary. Instead the industry favors a strong work ethic and hands-on training. There are many trades like electrical, plumbing and welding that typically have apprenticeship programs that allow you to train under skilled craftsmen while also earning a living. This is different than the path to a traditional four-year college degree, where students pay a high price tag for their education while also working side jobs to support themselves during the process.

In addition to the useful skills provided through these careers, they’re high-paying jobs. According to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, welders make an average of $35 per hour, electricians make an average of $36 per hour and plumbers earn $42 per hour. In more general terms, the average salary for a construction worker in Alaska is $50,000.

SKILLED TRADE JOBS also provide job security. Even as many aspects of the world change, the homebuilding industry is not going away. The pandemic proved that people value the safety and convenience of their homes. They want the space to be able to work, raise families and partake in hobbies.

As people are demanding more out of their homes, that demand is being put on homebuilders. If there’s any hope of meeting the demand for residential homes, the industry will need to recruit and train a workforce. The Home Builders Institute’s most recent Construction Labor Market Report shows the industry needs to train and hire 2.2 million new workers within the next three years in order to meet the nation’s housing demand.

PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES are looking for more than just a paycheck. Ed Brady, CEO of HBI, says the

construction industry needs to be a place where people want to work. He encourages the industry to remain competitive salary-wise, but it also needs offer other benefits like the ability to have a good work-life balance.

ALASKA’S HOMEBUILDING INDUSTRY is facing a bright future, but it needs your help. Alaskans are

desperate for new homes, and the construction industry is anxious to deliver them. However, the lack of a

trained workforce will slow the process. There are numerous opportunities within the homebuilding industry to launch lifelong, stable careers. A healthy construction industry brings economic prosperity to the area. Working together, Alaskans can create a thriving community for their neighbors.

MORE RESOURCES AHBA, www.ahba.net ASD’s Career Technical Education Department, www.asdk12.org/domain/1196 Northern Industrial Training, www.nitalaska.com