Locations:

Benton Harbor High School
New Buffalo High Schoool
Niles High School at Berrien RESA

Career Opportunities Include:

· Construction Laborer
· Deck Builder
· Electrician's Assistant
· Plumber's Assistant
· Roofer
· Rough/Finish Carpenter
· Siding Installer
· Wallboard Hanger/Finisher

GRADES: 11-12

Class Description

The Construction Trades program prepares students with the skills necessary to work in the construction field building residential and light commercial buildings.

Content Areas

· Hand and Power Tools
· Masonry
· Siding
· Rough and Finish Carpentry
· Roofing
· Drywall
· Electrical
· Plumbing

Note: The New Buffalo program is a house-building program.

Career Outlook

Construction laborers perform a wide range of physically demanding tasks involving building and highway construction, tunnel and shaft excavation, hazardous waste removal, environmental remediation, and demolition. Although the term "laborer" implies work that requires relatively little skill or training, many tasks that these workers perform require a fairly high level of training and experience.

Job opportunities should be good.

Like many other construction occupations, employment opportunities are affected by the cyclical nature of the construction industry and can vary greatly by State and locality.

Median hourly earnings of construction laborers in 2002 were $11.90.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of LaborStatistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-2005Edition. http://bls.gov/oco/