Laborers need good manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and balance. They must be able to read and interpret warning signs, blueprints, and written specifications. Additionally, they should be strong team players with basic math and problem-solving skills. Employers highly value candidates who are hard-working, reliable, and punctual.
Laborers work in many sectors of construction including heavy civil and highway construction with many different types of jobs such as clearing and preparing highway work zones and rights of way, temporary traffic, installing sewer, water and storm drain pipes, placing concrete and asphalt as well as grade checking (surveying of construction sites). Laborers also work in the oil and gas industry, performing tasks such as maintenance, new pipeline construction, and pipe coating and insulation. Additionally, they are essential to the building trades, where they construct and remodel a wide variety of structures, including schools, airports, warehouses, and public buildings.
While most laborers tend to specialize in a type of construction, they are generalists who perform many different tasks during all stages of construction. State of the art training schools are located in Anchorage and Fairbanks where training for all types of work is available to apprentices at no cost.
