Careers in Construction Month Toolkit
NAHB invites all student members, local associations, and industry professionals to join us in celebrating Careers in Construction Month in October. Spread nationwide awareness by participating in one of the events below and sharing social media posts that celebrate the rewarding career opportunities in construction.
Social Media Resources, Marketing and Advertising Materials
Plan Your Month – Events and Suggested Activities
September: Proclaim October as Careers in Construction Month
Help us make Careers in Construction Month officially recognized in every state! Any state resident can file a proclamation for their governor or mayor to sign. Here is a sample proclamation and proclamation tips to get you started.
Oct. 2-6, 2023: Engage With Boys & Girls Clubs
Make a connection with your local Boys & Girls Club and coordinate an event related to home building skills or home building as a career path. Visit the Boys and Girls club online directory to determine the clubs in your area. Ask your local members to help organize and participate – one of them might already have a connection with a local club.
Oct. 9, 2023: Construction Educator Day
Do you know of a construction educator you can celebrate? A teacher or mentor who is dedicated to developing the future professionals of the construction industry? Create and share a social media post highlighting why you are recognizing them! Use hashtags #CEDay and #CareersInConstruction when posting.
Oct. 9-13, 2023: Student Chapter Engagement
Student members – hold a chapter club meeting this week! Let us know what your club is up to by tagging NAHB on social or emailing us a note. NAHB wants to share your October club activities in a blog post and newsletter highlight!
HBAs – reach out to your affiliated student chapter(s) and find out how you can engage with your student members. Ask if your student chapter(s) are competing in the Student Competition IBS or if they need speakers for upcoming meetings, job-site tours, etc.
Oct. 16-20, 2023: Young Professionals Week
YP Week connects and engages Young Professionals (student members included) in the building industry from across the country. This week focuses on mentoring, community involvement and professional development. Programming for the week will be updated here and on nahb.org/YP.
Oct. 20, 2023: Careers in Construction Day
On this special day, Student Chapters, HBAs, and industry members are encouraged to organize and participate in a community service build project or other activities celebrating construction professions. Consider reaching out to the following organizations:
- Habitat for Humanity
- Your local Parks and Recreation dept. – offer to help with repairing boardwalk, building park benches or picnic tables, or constructing garden beds or bat/bird houses, etc.
- Your local library – offer to give a live reading of The House That She Built
- Here are some activity guides for use and inspiration. Remember to post on social using #CICM2023 and #CareersInConstruction
Oct. 23-27, 2023: Celebrate Residential Construction
Share on social media or email a snapshot telling us how you celebrated the construction industry this past month. Try posting a picture or video of you at your job or sharing a message about a mentor or teacher who impacted your residential construction career pathway.
Tag @NAHB and @NAHBStudents with the #CareersInConstruction and #CICM2023 or email sweber@nahb.org.
Other Sample Activities for HBAs
Hosting an event engages young individuals with your community’s builder members and is an effective way of sharing career opportunities. NAHB has a variety of lesson plans and build guides for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Reach out to select a few activities that you and your members can do in your community to spread the word about careers in construction.
Working with your local schools is a great way to help start the conversation. Connect with your Student Chapters to schedule events on their calendars and to find out which activities match best with their classroom and program needs.
- Open Up Your Site: Ask a local construction site to host an in-person or virtual field trip. Students will be able to gather first-hand information about what it takes to have a successful career in construction.
- Equipment Demonstrations: Take five minutes to showcase how to use one or more tools or pieces of equipment on the jobsite. You can do a live, remote demonstration and/or record your video and post on social media with the tag #CareersInConstructionMonth.
- Build a Resume: Help students prepare for a career in construction by coordinating a resume building session. Provide interview and resume tips.
- Visit a Classroom: Present the customizable Careers in the Construction Trades PowerPoint to local students. Also, access the Cheat Sheet for using the Careers in Construction Trades presentation.
Save 40% off The House That She Built through Oct. 31
In honor of Careers in Construction Month in October, BuilderBooks is offering a special 40% discount on The House That She Built. This captivating book takes children on a home-building journey and the opportunity to explore construction careers. Visit Builderbooks.com and enter promo code THTSB40 on the checkout page. The House That She Built is sponsored by 84 Lumber and Andersen Windows and Doors.
