Employment in the concrete industry has a bright future. The number one pain point for our industry is the lack of, well, you. Finding workers is a consistent issue as construction continues to boom as an essential part of the American economy. The BBC just described this as being the Age of Concrete. After water, concrete is THE most consumed material in the world and “accounts for around half of all human-made things.” As a concrete worker, you could be involved in figuring out a complex excavation to build a musical venue in a cave or building one of the bridges or interstates that make interstate commerce possible in our country. Building forecasts continue to be strong for housing markets & building in general. Sustainability is also becoming more important in the industry and you could become involved in research about embodied carbon. People with an interest in sales will find this a lucrative industry as well.
Concrete Installers, Ready Mixer Drivers, Sales People (ready mix, admixtures, cement, fibers, sealants, trucks & equipment, aggregates), Dispatchers, Quality Control Technicians, Plant Operators & Managers, Engineers, Testing Lab Technician, Architects, Landscape Architects, Office Managers, Operations Managers, Concrete Artisans, Masons.
Whether through onsite training through your employer, or through ACI and NRMCA classes, industry workers are required to be certified in several areas and are constantly adding to their skills and knowledge. TCA offers many ACI and NRMCA certifications which include: American Concrete Institute’s: Concrete Field Testing Technician Grade One, Concrete Flatwork Finisher National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s: Pervious Concrete Technician and Installer, Certified Concrete Sales Professional, and Concrete Technician courses. TCA also provides test review in many popular ACI classes in person and through the Concrete Career Academy. The CCA is an education coalition of state concrete associations from the Carolinas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The primary function of the academy is to enhance and advance the careers of all who work in the concrete industry, so content is targeted in more than one discipline.
“Ready to find a job in concrete? Visit this page to explore open job positions and learn more about concrete career paths: https://www.tnconcrete.org/
“For Career and Technical Educators: visit this page to discover new activities, opportunities and resources for your students to learn more about the concrete industry: https://www.tnconcrete.org/
“Did you know you can get a degree in Concrete Industry Management (CIM)? Immersive yourself in the concrete industry with this hands on and extremely engaging degree. Visit this page to learn more about schools that offer CIM programs: https://www.concretedegree.
Our industry requires certifications in many areas with Flatwork Associate, Concrete Field Testing Technician, Aggregate/Soils Base Testing Technician, Aggregate Testing Technician, Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician, Concrete Strength Testing Technician, and Pervious Installer being among those you might be required to obtain. TCA offers classes in these areas as well as NRMCA’s Certified Concrete Sales Professional certification for those taking a more sales oriented track. Through the Concrete Industry Management program at MTSU, students earn a college degree at MTSU and have the opportunity to experience an integrated technical education in concrete with the additional business and communication skills needed to advance in the industry.
