Construction workers are jack-of-all-trades personnel charged with assisting tradespeople with the labor required to finish a project. You can generally divide the work on a construction site into three groups. There are those in skilled trades: the carpenters, glaziers and masons who design and implement the project. There are those in operations: the managers and surveyors who perform the administrative tasks necessary to get the project started and keep it running. The third category includes construction workers who help with a variety of tasks to get the job done.

Construction work is usually a progressive occupation. Many workers start out as generalists who attend to tasks such as digging ditches, cleaning highways, knocking down walls and unloading equipment. As they gain experience, they provide assistance in a specialty such as roofing, pipefitting, structural work or carpentry. Some choose to receive certification to handle hazardous construction materials and waste. Over time, general construction workers typically choose a specific trade, begin an apprenticeship and undergo the formal training and certification necessary to ascend to a journeyworker position, or in plain speak, someone who has completed an apprenticeship. They might also decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree to become a construction manager. In other words, general construction work is a starting point that leads to vast opportunities.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.4% employment growth for construction workers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 61,900 jobs should open up.

Working as a general construction worker is an excellent introduction and gateway to other specialties within construction. There aren’t formal education requirements to start out, and you’ll receive ample on-the-job training. You’ll most likely get your feet wet performing simple, safe tasks – cleanup, for instance – while shadowing more experienced workers on a job site. General laborers usually find a preference for a specific trade and might enter a formal apprenticeship program and begin the process to receive certification in a specialty.