When children are growing up, they always have a dream job. Some will want to become doctors and vets, others will want to become beauticians and athletes. While others will want to become construction workers. As you probably already know, finding the path from childhood to your dream job is often difficult, and it is in no way as simple as it is made out to be. Even with jobs like working in construction, the path is unclear, and it is often difficult to even know what qualifications you need to complete.
So, if you are looking for work in the construction industry, but don’t know where to begin, then you are in the right place. Today we’re looking at all the qualifications and certifications you need to be a construction worker and the timescale of these certifications.
So that you know everything you need to know to be a construction worker.
What certifications do you need to be a construction worker?
First things first, let’s look at the different certifications you need if you want to become a construction worker. Becoming a construction worker is in no way as qualification intense as some other job routes you can go down, and many of the skills are learned on the job.
But you need some certifications, so let’s have a look at what they are.
High School Diploma
The first qualification that you really need to become a construction worker is your high school diploma. As you probably know, most job routes require you to graduate high school, whether you do it on your first or fifth time.
Graduating with your high school diploma can tell an employer a lot about your character and work ethic, so it is always best to have it. Even though your high school diploma doesn’t teach you anything about construction work.
So, if you want to become a construction worker, obtaining your high school diploma is the best place to start.
National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP) Certifications
Once you obtain your high school diploma, you can then begin working on more industry-specific certifications. Unlike some other fields of work, construction work isn’t one that you can fall into by going to college.
Instead, you will have to complete certifications alongside working on-site. But don’t worry too much about which specific certifications you have to get. If you apply for a job in construction, the company will likely tell you what specific qualifications you need and might even pay for them for you.
The NASP certifications are all about safety and the policies in law that help keep practical workers safe when they are on the job. These qualifications mainly focus on safety and hazard awareness.
But, it is also possible to achieve qualifications in safety auditing and environmental management through this institution. So, once you gain experience in construction work, you might find yourself returning to the NASP certifications to obtain something more specific.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Construction Certificate
Finally, you will usually be required to obtain the OSHA Construction certificate before you will be able to work on a building site. OSHA is the national body for health and safety, and they have a lot of qualifications that help protect construction workers from injury and risk when they are on site.
This specific certification is an assessment of the individual’s hazard perception to see whether it is safe for them to work on a busy (and potentially dangerous) building site.
Additionally, the OSHA construction certificate advises the individual on the protocol if something were to go wrong. So it tells construction workers how to make a complaint if safety protocols are broken and all the safety protocols that could potentially be broken.
The length of this course varies from 30 minutes to 10 hours depending on your level of experience and the course you want to do. But, most construction companies will require their employees to obtain this certification before they can start working.
How long does it take to become a construction worker?
Unlike some jobs, you can go down many different routes to become a construction worker. All of these routes take a different length of time and will be better suited to different individuals depending on the type of construction work they want.
Most commonly, there isn’t a long time for training before you can become a construction worker. In fact, many employers will hire construction workers straight out of high school, so you can approach one of these employers as soon as you obtain your high school diploma.
They will likely employ you if they think you have the right qualifications and then put you through the necessary training to make it legal for you to work on a construction site.
Alternatively, you can go through the apprenticeship route to becoming a construction worker. Usually, people will choose to go down the apprenticeship route if they want to specialize in a specific area of construction work.
If you go down this route, it will take anywhere between 2-4 years to become qualified. But, you will be actively working as a construction worker during this time. So, there really is no simple answer to how long it takes to become a construction worker. It depends on your situation and the specific area of construction work you want to go into.
However, in most situations, you will be able to work as a construction worker while you obtain your certifications and qualifications. Learn more about how long it takes to become an electrician here.
Summary
In short, you are required to obtain many different qualifications and certifications if you want to work as a construction worker. However, most employers will pay for you to do these courses while employed by them or will point you in the right direction upon your interview.
