ALACHUA, Fla. — The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), through its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative, announced the national expansion of its career exploration tool, CareerStarter. This new program provides direct connections between entry-level job seekers, local training programs and employers.  

When considering an opportunity in construction, many are unsure of where to begin. CareerStarter’s career exploration tools help bridge the gap between curiosity and a construction career. The advantage of CareerStarter comes through bringing together all members of the career path process into one place.  

There are great reasons for people in any role to join the CareerStarter platform:  

• Students and job seekers can use the exploration resources to discover potential career paths, then find the right educational or work opportunities to help them take their next steps.
• Employers can find talent for their company by building a business profile, posting free and unlimited entry-level job listings, and using the automatic candidate matching feature. 
• Educators can promote their training program while monitoring students’ activity on the tool and tracking the direct success stories of their program. 

“NCCER is proud to provide a program supporting job seekers, employers and educators as we work to increase the construction workforce,” said NCCER President and CEO Boyd Worsham. “It takes all of us working together to make a real impact in the industry, and CareerStarter will help us all foster connections and come together to fill the skills gap.”  

In the opening months of CareerStarter, the tool has already helped hundreds of future craft professionals take their first steps into the construction field. 

“It’s been difficult to find a source for students to connect with employers and learn how to market themselves,” said Phil Vice with Connect For Success N.C. “The process was very simple — in fact, the teachers just provided the QR code, and the students took to it easily. The feedback I received was great! Students were able to look for opportunities and see what they might need to accomplish their career goals.”  

This program is free of charge to individuals, schools, employers and training programs. This is thanks to the generosity and commitment to the construction industry by forward-thinking organizations like Bechtel Group Foundation, which aims to promote STEM education and use engineering and construction skills to improve the quality of life worldwide; Procore Technologies, a leading global provider of construction management software; and Stanley Black & Decker, a trusted distributor of high-quality industry tools.

To check out the CareerStarter platform, visit careerstarter.byf.org.