The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation, and its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative celebrated the 12th annual Careers in Construction Month (CICM) this October. The campaign aimed to increase public awareness of construction careers and inspire the next generation of craft professionals.

Requests to state governments to proclaim October as CICM were filed by residents in 26 states and U.S. territories, with 16 states issuing an official proclamation.

Residents who submitted a successful proclamation request were entered into a raffle to win a BYF prize package. Congratulations to the 2024 winners:

• Arkansas: John Kelly, Systems Careers
• Virginia: Kristi Thomas, James River Air Conditioning Company
• Guam: Trevor Cruz, Guam Contractors Association

In addition, industry and education representatives were once again invited to take the annual CICM Pledge, a commitment to participate in a classroom engagement to connect students with construction professionals. This year, 77 contractors, schools and other organizations took the pledge.

Organizations who participated in the CICM Pledge were entered into a raffle to win a $1,000 scholarship to benefit a secondary school construction education program of their choice. Congratulations to the 2024 CICM Pledge scholarship winners:

• Andgar Corporation – Scholarship to benefit Ferndale High School (Washington)
• Turner Industries – Scholarship to benefit East St. John High School (Louisiana)
• Erie County Community College – Scholarship to benefit Erie County Technical School (Pennsylvania)
• Steel Toe Communications, LLC – Scholarship to benefit Thomas Edison High School of Technology (Maryland)
• Idaho AGC – Scholarship to benefit COSSA Schools (Idaho)

CICM will return in October 2025. For more information on CICM, please visit byf.org/cicm.