Construction High School Training Program

Training Modules

The training consists of four modules:

1. Plan Reading
2. Construction Material and Methods
3. Determining Material Quantities & Costs
4. Project Coordination & Management

These training modules are a part of students' high school curriculum and have theoretical, as well as practical aspects, testing students understanding.

A session is comprised of a one-hour pre-recorded lecture engagement, discussion, guided classroom work, and a one-hour homework assignment. The one-hour homework assignment is provided through the learning management system, Canvas. There is a total of eight contact hours for each module. Students will earn digital (badges) for each module and certification after successfully completing all four modules. 

This training is developed to empower students and guide them toward making informed decisions about their career choices after high school. For high school graduates who do not wish to enroll in college, they will have the advantage of qualifying for the construction work recruitment program with Wyoming employers. Earning the Construction Training certification is a great addition to a high school diploma when entering the workforce. It may also encourage high school graduates to explore construction related programs if seeking a higher education degree.

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The information below indicates the job grades and connected income possible through a more thoroughly trained and knowledgeable workforce.

Job Title	Per Hour	Per Year
Starting-Level Construction Worker in Wyoming	$ 13. 25	$ 27,564
Junior-Level Construction Worker in Wyoming	$ 13. 96	$ 29,048
Middle-Level Construction Worker in Wyoming	$ 17. 13	$ 35,650
Senior-Level Construction Worker in Wyoming	$19. 57	$ 40,710
Top-Level Construction Worker in Wyoming	$ 26. 06	$ 54,216

Table 1: Construction and Extraction Occupations - Sep 2021 Wage Survey - Statewide n.d.

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You already know the benefits of having your students gain work skills, but did you know that:

• the training of a future high school workforce creates a sustainable construction workforce?

• improves industry awareness, competencies, and proficiencies through recruiting a young workforce?

• promotes professionalism in areas ancillary to the construction sector?

• or that by hiring Wyoming residents, thus allowing companies to be competitive within the State and workers to potentially earn a higher income?

The training certificates will provide students with a level of skill set to be hired and employed in the construction industry during summers or to enter the industry fulltime upon graduating from high school.

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The Need for Training

As stated above construction training is vital for the recruitment, education, and integration of Wyoming workers. Currently, Wyoming has a statewide construction workforce deficit which creates an insufficient influx of funding to Wyoming-based construction companies. There is an overall decrease of specialized labor within the construction realm. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ future employment projections, it is expected that construction jobs grow by about 11% nationally between the years 2020 and 2030, which in real numerical terms translates to about 11.9 million additional construction jobs yet to be filled (Bureau of Labor Statistics News Release, 2021). The graph below presents the anticipated construction workforce growth rate between 2020 -30, which is in direct contradiction to the anticipated declining high school graduation numbers during the same time.

Therefore, education institutions and industry cannot ignore this reality, and should therefore be most proactive by introducing high school students to opportunities in construction as a well-paid industry through high school skill development.

Table: BLS OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT PROJECTION DATA, (2020–30)

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Getting Started

We are pleased that you have decided to engage in furthering the training and education of Wyoming's youth with specific reference to the construction industry. The first step is to reach out to CAECM's Dr. Francois Jacobs fjacobs@uwyo.edu or Megan Jones mconnor2@uwyo.edu about any questions and or interest you might have on access to the training.

UW hopes that your interest and experience in this program will prove to be valuable and transformative for you and your participating High School students.

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Training for High School Teachers