Careers in Construction Month

Every October, the construction industry pauses to celebrate the people who build our communities and to invite the next generation to join them. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed October 2026 Careers in Construction Month in Michigan, part of a national campaign led by NCCER and its Build Your Future initiative.

The timing could not be better. The industry employs more than 8 million people nationwide and needs more than 450,000 new craft professionals in 2027 alone, according to the proclamation. Here in Michigan, the state expects about 2,450 openings a year for electricians, 1,990 for carpenters, and 1,065 for construction managers through 2034 (Michigan Center for Data and Analytics).

A new guide for Michigan's future builders

To mark the month, CAM is releasing Build Your Future: Careers in Michigan Construction, a free guide for students, parents, school counselors, and anyone considering a career change.

The guide walks through four pathways into the industry:

• Skilled trades: 16 trades, from electricians and pipefitters to ironworkers and equipment operators, with Michigan pay ranges and training lengths
• Construction management: what project managers do, the skills they need, and Michigan colleges that offer 2-year and 4-year programs
• Safety and health: how safety professionals protect crews, and the path to ASP and CSP certifications
• Design and pre-construction: architects, engineers, estimators, surveyors, and designers

It also shows how a first-year apprentice can rise to foreman, superintendent, and project manager. It explains the difference between union apprenticeships and non-union traineeships, and lists statewide contacts for training programs in every trade.

Why construction is worth a closer look

For many young people, construction offers what college alone cannot: a paycheck from day one and training at little or no cost. Apprentices earn while they learn and often finish with a valued credential and no student loans.

The pay is strong, too. In Michigan, the middle half of electricians earn $24 to $44 an hour, and plumbers and pipefitters earn $28 to $46. Construction is also one of the fairer fields for women's pay: in 2025, women in construction and extraction jobs earned 88.4% of what men earned, compared with 82.1% across all occupations (BLS).

And the work is changing fast. Drones, 3D building models, GPS-guided equipment, and AI-driven scheduling are now part of everyday jobs, so today's builders need tech skills as well as hands-on ones.

How you can help

Careers in Construction Month is a chance for all of us to open the door a little wider. CAM members can:

• Share the guide with a local high school, career and technical education (CTE) center, or community college
• Host a job-site tour or open house for students
• Talk about your own career path on social media using #BuildWithCAM and #BuildingMichigan