There are many primary trades in the construction industry, offering a wide variety of challenging opportunities for the future construction worker. All these careers hold a promise of a challenging and lucrative future. Please visit each trade career path to get a look at the potential salaries available.

Carpentry
Carpenters cut, fit, and assemble wood and other materials. They work on residential, commercial, and industrial construction projects that range from building frames for houses to building forms for pouring concrete foundations. Because of their many abilities, carpenters have many opportunities for employment.

Electrical
Electricians work throughout the construction industry, providing electrical services in residential, commercial, and industrial construction projects. Electricians install new wiring and related components, such as breaker boxes, switches, light fixtures, and even telephone and television wiring. Some Electricians also install motors and air conditioning or heating systems. They perform maintenance and repairs, replacing defective parts as problems occur and repairing equipment when it fails. Electricians have one of the highest employment rates of all craft workers.

Automatic Fire Sprinkler
Sprinkler fitters install and test automatic fire sprinkler systems and components such as sprinklers, piping, and valves. They should be familiar with local and national codes pertaining to fire sprinklers. Fire sprinkler fitters can learn their trade through craft and apprenticeship programs. There are many career opportunities available in the fire sprinkler industry such as design, operations, sales and management.

Masonry
Masonry covers a wide range of craft workers including bricklayers, stone masons, concrete finishers, and plasterers.
Bricklayers - in the construction industry are masters at precision. Using various tools, bricklayers, or brick masons, construct walls, partitions, chimneys, basement walls, and similar parts of a building. In woodframe structures, bricklayers usually construct concrete block walls that rest on the footings. These walls establish a sturdy foundation upon which the remaining structure will be built. Bricklayers work with brick, block, and panels.
Concrete Finishers - usually finish (level) poured concrete decks, sidewalks, walkways, roadways, and similar projects. They also build concrete forms.
Stone Masons - Similar to bricklaying. Stone masonry is much more expensive than conventional brick and concrete block masonry and is used today in only special situations or decorative purposes.
Block Masons - Block masonry is also similar to bricklaying. On most projects, bricklayers lay both brick and concrete block.

Plumbing/Pipefitting
Plumbers/Pipefitters design and install various types of piping systems - hot water, sprinkling, lubricating, and heating or cooling systems, as well as systems that distribute water and remove waste, to name a few. They may install new systems or modify older ones. In the past, plumbers installed the piping systems for most residential and commercial establishments. But today, the systems installed in most industrial and commercial complexes require the skills of professionally trained pipefitters. Pipefitters work with various piping materials and tools and must know the specific use of each. For example, oil, gas, and other chemicals require certain types of pipes and different types of seals and gaskets. Different pipes require different tools for assembly. Pipefitters also need to know local ordinances, state codes, and regulations regarding their work.

Heating, Ventilating & Air Conditioning (HVAC)
HVAC technicians install, maintain, and repair heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems. These systems allow people to control the air the air temperature inside structures. There are different kinds of HVAC systems, such as oil-fired furnaces and commercial refrigerators, and technicians can specialize within the trade. HVAC technicians must be able to understand the operating principles of different systems and to interpret written specifications.

High School students check with your Apprenticeship Coordinator for details on the available career areas in your school.

Orange County Schools - Harvey Levine 407-317-3200 x 2749

Osceola County Schools - Tom Runnels 407-344-5080

Seminole County Schools - Joe Oldakowski 407-320-0171