A group of students were gathered in room 429 on Wednesday, Nov. 20 as a part of the Career Spotlight series. They were inquiring about careers in construction and carpentry. The man who was there to speak to them was Mr. John Mascaro, the president and CEO of Mascaro Construction Company.
Mr. John Mascaro has been working in construction for 30 years. Mascaro graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Mascaro started the discussion, asking the class if they were fans of the famous Tonka Toys as children. He said that if you were, there is something inherent about you that was drawn to construction.
This led to a discussion about the work environment of a construction worker. The environment is the job site, workers on site complete the project and move onto the next one.
The outlook in careers in construction is great. Workers are always needed, and the opportunities exist. Mr. Mascaro stated that by 2017, America will be short 2 million construction workers.
Furthermore, Mr. Mascaro told of the education needed to become a construction worker. Various positions only require a high school diploma. An education through a technical school can also lead to higher positions on projects. A college education will lead one to project management positions. Suggested majors for college educated workers are civil engineering, construction management, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and architecture.
The salary of a construction worker depends on the level of experience and the position on the project. The average salary of a journeyman is $60,000.
The advice that Mr. Mascaro gave is to work hard in school. Also, Mr. Mascaro said always to do research on the various programs and jobs before committing to them.
Mr. Mascaro is also proud of his work. Mr. Mascaro said that the physical sense of accomplishment is the most rewarding part of the job.
The presentation gave an accurate representation of what construction is all about, and was well worth everyone’s time.
