An excellent series of short articles in Wired Magazine titled The Economic Rebound: It Isn’t What You Think makes the case that a new type of job seems to be growing the economy. Not really white collar or blue collar, many of the new jobs could be called creative class jobs.

A 20% to 30% per year job growth has occurred in:

1. Wireless
2. Internet
3. Computer and Network Security
4. Online Publishing

While Renewable Energy and the Environment jobs have grown at almost 57% per year.

Those in the 10% to 20% growth range are:

1. Nanotechnology
2. Professional Training
3. Computer Networking
4. Biotechnology
5. Medical Device Manufacturing
6. E-Learning
7. Computer Games

So what does this have to do with you and construction? Am I giving you subtle clues that it’s time to jump into another line of work?

As TBW will attest, I’m rarely subtle. I’ve found that saying it, then saying it again standing a little closer, then saying it one more time with a step back tends to make communication actually happen. So let me say clearly what this trend means to me:  the job growth above just makes me see more opportunities in construction. There are loads of opportunities for folks willing to use their brains and take some risk.

In every trade, in every type of building project, the method of getting things done will change. You have the opportunity to lead that change, follow the leaders or get left behind (complaining about immigrants or merit shops or globalization or whatever else you want to blame).

It doesn’t matter what job you do in this wonderful construction industry, the list above should give you some clues to how your work will be changing. For example, HVAC installers will be getting more focused on internet controllers and building operational security. Project superintendents need to speak the digital language fluently or be much less valuable. Even concrete finishers will be working with different materials (that will work in ways unlike the old materials) due to the oncoming inflation . The changes coming will be explosive compared to the recent changes we’ve endured.

Embrace the change. Put effort into learning (on your own time) and make yourself more valuable. If your present employer doesn’t seem to care, find one that does and get paid accordingly.