With the construction industry changing at a rapid pace thanks to the advent of AI, shifting climate conditions and increasing demand placed on workers amid a shrinking skilled-labor market, Construction Executive asked its readership to showcase what it’s like to work in today’s building sector.
It’s no secret that construction hiring has been an uphill battle for decades, thanks in part to misconceptions around the industry and a push for high-school students to pursue traditional post-secondary education as the only path to success. However, a recent study commissioned by the Skilled Careers Coalition asked high school students, counselors and parents to share their perceptions on skilled-trades careers, and the results revealed a surprising shift:
76% of all respondents agree that a career in the skilled trades can lead to entrepreneurial success69% of students said it is outdated to assume a four-year degree is the best pathway to success84% of parents believe skilled trades provide a stable career path, less time in school, less debt and an overall better quality of life
CE’s readers submitted more than 400 photos that capture the “cool factor” of working in this industry, from the artistry of welding to the beauty of a jobsite at sunrise—driving home the point that there’s so much more to a skilled-trades career than meets the eye.
Show the winners and honorable mentions some love on your media channels and start snapping shots for next year’s CE Photo Contest.
Winner: MTech Mechanical
Photographer: Ely Hemnes, The Unfound Door
MTech Mechanical collaborated with photographer Ely Hemnes of The
Unfound Door to illustrate the artistry in the contractor’s work. In a series
of photos capturing the day-to-day intricacies of large-scale projects in
downtown Denver, one commissioned shot stands out. Taken from a vantage point high above, the image features Bryan Gilmore, pipefitting crew
leader at MTech Mechanical, welding 14-in. pipe for the 1900 Lawrence
Office Building. The vital pipe, which carries chilled condenser water from
the building’s mechanical room up 32 stories, keeps a large office space
comfortable by supplying the air conditioning system with chilled water.
Messer Construction
Photographer: Karen Wojciechowski
Sunrise at the Fishers Community Impact Project – Indiana University Health in
Indianapolis, involving the construction of a 204,000-square-foot hospital addition to the Fishers campus.
Gregorio B. Dantes Jr.
Filipino construction workers help to assemble pillars on a Manila City
condominium building.
Primoris Services Corp.
Photographer: Robb Williamson
A line worker rides a motorized cart 125 feet in the air to attach spacer-dampers
along newly installed transmission towers and their conductor lines outside of Fairfield, Texas. The brand-new construction was required to replace 14 miles of towers that fell to the ground as a result of extreme wind and tornado damage along that route.
Ace Avant
Photographer: Peter Pekkala
A skidsteer polishing floors at Nestle-Purina in Eden, NC.
Rick Katz
A construction worker places two new center plates onto the Seattle Grand
Wheel.
Gaylor Electric
Photographer: Ben Reiff
A Gaylor Electric summer intern gets hands-on electrical experience.
Heavy Lift Productions
Photographer: Jason Nikl
A Crocker Crane crew rigs up a helicopter to do a complete air cooler system swap on a Dallas jobsite. The helicopter, flown in from California to Dallas, was used because a crane could not get close enough to the site in the dense urban area.
SEE ALSO: MOVING IMAGES: 2023 CE PHOTO CONTEST
