Construction: The Opportunity Industry is the message emblazoned on Michigan's billboards, broadcast on the airwaves and appearing in print this summer, as part of a campaign to get the word out about the trades as a job opportunity.

The billboards show a link to a website, www.michiganconstructioncareers.org, which has information about how to find a union construction job. The coordinated campaign promotes the concept of construction as an "opportunity industry," with press releases that can be fashioned for local media around Michigan, as well as advertising materials and radio and television public service announcements.

"This effort will go a long way toward helping increase awareness that construction work is a career, not just a job," said Tom Boensch, secretary-treasurer of the Michigan State Building and Construction Trades Council.

Various trade unions and councils around Michigan are participating in the campaign, which will emphasize the industry's decent pay levels, health insurance, retirement benefits, and career opportunities for men and women.

Even though construction work is slowing somewhat in Michigan and in other parts of the country, most projections indicate that with retirements and difficulty attracting new workers, there will be a shortfall in construction workers over the next several years.

"Michigan's building trades unions offer several distinct advantages over other sources for construction workers," Boensch added. "Building trades unions offer the best pay and benefits, provide high-quality paid apprenticeship training as well as upgrade training, and actively promote a safe workplace."

"The construction industry also affords its workers the opportunity to enjoy the satisfaction of owning, operating and managing his or her own construction company," said Mike Comstock, president of the Michigan Chapter of Associated General Contractors. "With the proper skill development and training, opportunities for entrepreneurship and management abound for all construction workers."