COLUMBUS, OH -- September 16-20 is National Construction Appreciation Week, and Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder are reminding Ohioans considering new careers that construction jobs are in demand in Ohio.

More than 245,500 Ohioans work in the construction industry, which equates to about one in 23 workers, and many learned their skills through apprenticeship programs. Apprentices earn while they learn, avoid student loan debt and, when they complete their programs, earn an average of $72,000 a year.

“As Ohio’s economy continues to grow, more and more companies are moving into our state or expanding their operations here, so construction workers are in demand to build out these sites,” said Governor DeWine. “There are incredible opportunities right now in this field, and we appreciate all of the hardworking Ohioans in construction jobs today who are literally building our state’s future from the ground up.”

“You can’t do 'Made in America' without 'Made in Ohio,' and if we want to continue to be a national leader, making the things that people need to live and thrive, we need sites to do that,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “As I have traveled the state, I hear from businesses constantly that they need construction workers. I encourage everyone looking for a new or better opportunity to see for themselves what the industry can offer them.”

Construction Appreciation Week Proclamation

Starting this year, all Ohio school counselors for grades 7 to 12 are required to complete a four-hour training to learn about building and construction trades career pathways, including apprenticeships. The goal is to increase the knowledge of Ohio’s school counselors so they can better share career-focused information with their students. The classes will be offered onsite at joint labor-management apprenticeship training centers across the state.

“At least 20 occupations in the construction industry are in demand in Ohio, including laborers, electricians, carpenters, welders, operating engineers, and more,” Damschroder said. “These jobs pay well, have promising futures, and offer many opportunities for advancement. They’re also vital to our communities, which rely on construction workers for everything from new schools and hospitals to highway maintenance to corporate expansions.”

ODJFS oversees ApprenticeOhio, which registers programs that meet national criteria for quality and safety. Each ApprenticeOhio program is run by a sponsor: usually an employer, a group of employers, or a labor/management committee. Apprentices learn skills needed for a job in the sponsor’s industry through at least 2,000 hours of structured on-the-job training and 144 hours of classroom training, typically at a local college or university.

For more information about apprenticeship opportunities, visit ApprenticeOhio.gov or your local OhioMeansJobs Center. To find your local OhioMeansJobs Center, visit OhioMeansJobs.com and click on “FIND A JOB CENTER” at the bottom of the page.

For the complete list of in-demand construction jobs, visit topjobs.ohio.gov. To view more than 3,600 open construction positions, visit OhioMeansJobs.com.