As the home building industry celebrates Careers in Construction Month in October, we’re sharing the top four reasons to consider a rewarding career in residential construction.

Diversity of Skilled Trades to Consider

A home builder relies on a number of highly trained workers to get the job done right. This includes dozens of skilled artisans and professionals, including carpenters, architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, painters and landscapers. Analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that 70 percent of builders typically use between 11 and 30 subcontractors to build a single-family home. Indeed, there are many different trades you can pursue depending on your personal interests.

Job Opportunities Across the Country

As the housing market continues to strengthen, home builders across the country and here in Northwest Arkansas are seeking skilled workers — such as carpenters, framers and roofers — to help them build the American Dream. This means there is ample opportunity for motivated students seeking a rewarding career path.

In fact, the residential construction industry is one of the few sectors where demand for new workers is rising. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and NAHB analysis, the number of open construction sector jobs (on a seasonally adjusted basis) increased to 232,000 in July 2017.

Jobs Satisfaction and Competitive Salaries

Residential construction workers consistently express high job satisfaction. And average salaries in Northwest Arkansas remain competitive with other industries in our area.

Rewarding Career without College Debt

At a time when countless college graduates are finding themselves underemployed and saddled with crushing student debt, it’s important to know that earning a college degree is not the only road to success. A vocational education is equally rewarding and can be obtained at a fraction of the cost.

HBI, a national leader in career training and NAHB’s workforce development arm, offers educational programs in 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching more than 13,000 students each year. These include more than 10,000 students in HBI’s pre-apprenticeship programs and 3,500 students in 130 NAHB Student Chapters.

HBI Job Corps programs are located in 74 centers across the nation and offer pre-apprenticeship training in 10 residential construction trades. The training programs are national in scope, but implemented locally using proven models that can be customized to meet the workforce needs of communities across the nation. Those who graduate from the program enjoy an 80 percent job placement rate.