Construction

Hard hats are the headgear of choice around New Jersey these days. New Jersey's construction industry is thriving, injecting billions of dollars in economic activity into the state.

Jobs in the construction area fall into three primary career paths:

• The Labor and Skilled Trade career path includes such jobs as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, masons, steel and ironworkers, and laborers.
• The Analytical career path includes cost estimators
• The Management/Supervision career path includes construction managers and first-line supervisors.

New Jersey employers hope to see several qualities in their construction workers:

• math skills
• occupational safety skills
• the ability to work as a team to complete a complex construction job
• computer technology skills

As with most industries, construction work is kicking it up a notch technologically, which requires that construction workers adapt and upgrade their skills.