Building Construction

The Building Construction program provides students with a solid understanding of the construction industry. It is offered in partnership with Four Rivers Career Center. Students enrolled in the program study building construction and participate in lab demonstrations in the well-equipped shop area. Areas of study include concrete, blueprint reading, surveying and layout, home maintenance, carpentry, electricity, plumbing, welding, sheet metal and preventative building maintenance.

Students should plan on attending full-time and can choose from a morning or afternoon time block to achieve a Certificate of Specialization. Those currently in high school can choose to articulate coursework to the AAS degree program and continue with the general education block of coursework at ECC.

Degrees & Certificates

Building Construction, AAS

Program Description

The East Central College Building Construction is a program in which students have an opportunity to study and acquire basic entry-level skills in construction-related trades. Students are exposed to various phases of residential and commercial construction through classroom study and hands-on work at a job site.

Construction laborers can be found on almost all construction sites performing a wide range of tasks from the very easy to the potentially hazardous. They can be found at building, highway, and heavy construction sites; residential and commercial sites; tunnel and shaft excavations; and demolition sites. Many of the jobs they perform require physical strength, training, and experience. Construction laborers clean and prepare construction sites. They remove trees and debris, tend pumps, compressors, and generators, and build forms for pouring concrete.

Partnership Program: Four Rivers Career Center

Program Format

The Building Construction is a two-year 61 credit-hour program providing students with a solid understanding of the construction industry. It is offered in partnership with Four Rivers Career Center. Students enrolled in the program study building construction and participate in lab demonstrations in the well-equipped shop area. Areas of study include concrete, blueprint reading, surveying and layout, home maintenance, carpentry, electricity, plumbing, welding, sheet metal, and preventative building maintenance.

It is offered at Four Rivers Career Center in Washington and the courses are instructed by industry professionals who have extensive knowledge from working in the industry. In addition to Building Construction courses, students enrolled in the degree will complete sixteen hours of math, English, and communication courses. These courses are offered at East Central College’s main campus or through online programming.

Professional Traits

  • Manual dexterity
  • Good eye-hand coordination
  • Good physical fitness
  • Good sense of balance
  • Ability to work as a member of a team
  • Ability to solve arithmetic problems quickly and accurately

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Technical/Equipment: Program graduates will demonstrate the technical knowledge and skills required to use industry equipment appropriately for employment in the field of Building Construction.
  2. Safety: Program graduates will demonstrate safety protocols in the field of Building Construction by consistently applying and adhering to current industry safety standards.
  3. Problem Solving: Program graduates will demonstrate the ability to use a variety of techniques in solving problems presented in the field of Building Construction.
  4. Communication: Building Construction program graduates will effectively communicate the technical content of the field, both written and orally.

Career Opportunities

Construction laborers can be found on almost all construction sites performing a wide range of tasks from the very easy to the potentially hazardous. They can be found at building, highway and heavy construction sites; residential and commercial sites; tunnel and shaft excavations; and demolition sites.Many of the jobs they perform require physical strength, training and experience. Construction laborers clean and prepare construction sites. They also remove trees and debris, tend pumps, compressors and generators, and build forms for pouring concrete.

Professional Traits
Those pursuing a career in this field should have the following traits:

• Have manual dexterity and solid eye-hand coordination
• Be in good physical condition
• Have a good sense of balance
• Be able to work as a member of a team
• Have the ability to solve arithmetic problems quickly and accurately

Employment and Salary Information
The construction laborer profession is experiencing higher-than-average growth, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2022, the number of positions is expected to increase by 25 percent.
Median hourly earnings for construction laborers were $14.02 (or $29,160 per year) in May 2012.