and other metrics, I Build America has seen its message continue
to spread, achieving more than 12 million impressions in 2019. The
organization is also seeing evidence that its efforts are making an
impact on young people in the real world.
“Sometimes, I get more engagement in person than online,”
said Jakubik. “I get a lot of students coming up to me after a presentation
at a career fair to ask about working in the construction
industry. I’ve also had human resources professionals at construction
companies tell me that, once they talk to the students directly,
the students and influencers have a better understanding of the
benefits of working in the construction industry.”
As a grassroots organization, I Build America depends on growing
its membership to publicize the benefits of working in the
construction industry. Besides the annual financial commitment
of membership, the organization wants members to participate in
helping to solve the industry’s workforce issues. This includes sharing
their stories, videos and images through social media and email
marketing, purchasing and displaying the organization’s merchandise,
holding events to show pride in their employees and talking
about the opportunities available in the construction industry.
For example, Terri Olson, CEO of OE Construction Corporation
in Denver, actively works to recruit young women into the construction
industry. She writes blog posts focused on women
working in construction and reaches out to teenage girls when
visiting high schools to help get them more interested in joining
the industry.
Since 2018, I Build America has been sponsoring
Construction Appreciation Week, which will take place in
2020 from Sept. 14–18. Its goal is to celebrate the “more than
11 million hardworking men and women in the industry who
contribute to the development of our infrastructure, facilities,
products and services.” The website provides information
and resources on how to get involved in this year’s events and
further the cause of promoting the construction industry. For
example, construction professionals can share Construction
Appreciation Week videos and stories on their social media
sites, while business owners can host events to show support
for their employees.
“Last year, we provided toolkits to help publicize Construction
Appreciation Week, which included holding contests that business
owners, current and future employees, and the general public
could enter to help promote the construction industry,” said
Jakubik. “We wanted people to tell their stories about how the
construction industry has benefited their lives, with the goal of
honoring the hardworking people who help to make it great. We
also encouraged people to share and like our posts on social media
and hope that they will continue to do so this year.” t
For more information on I Build America, or to learn more about promoting
the construction industry and participating in Construction
Appreciation Week, please visit www.ibuildamerica.com and www.
constructionappreciationweek.com.
“The construction industry
offers a lot of career
opportunities, and many
young people don’t
understand what they can
earn without having to go
through years of education.”
– Susanna Jakubik, I Build America
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