Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. Launches Campaign to Promote Careers in Skilled Construction Trades
WHITE PLAINS, NY (September 29, 2026) - The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. held a press event September 29, at the Elizabeth Seton Young Adult Center construction site, 317 North Street, White Plains. The event launched a new advertising campaign encouraging young adults to explore careers in the skilled construction trades. The campaign will highlight the wide range of career opportunities available in the construction industry, including hands-on training, career advancement and the opportunity to earn while learning.
The campaign will highlight the many career opportunities available in the building and construction industry and challenge the long-standing perception that a four-year college degree is the only path to a successful career.
The campaign is part of a broader effort by the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. and the Building Contractors Association of Westchester & The Mid-Hudson Region, Inc. to strengthen the region's construction workforce and connect the next generation with career opportunities that offer training, advancement and the potential for long-term, family-supporting careers.
"Today's young people have more career choices than ever, and we want them to understand that the skilled trades should be among those choices," said John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. "You can build a career, learn a highly valuable skill, earn while you learn, and help build the communities where you live. This campaign is about making sure young adults know these opportunities exist."
The Elizabeth Seton construction site provides a fitting backdrop for the campaign. The project represents the kind of major construction work being performed throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley and demonstrates the critical role skilled tradespeople play in turning major community investments into reality.
The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. has made workforce development and career awareness a growing priority. Recent workforce initiatives have focused on exposing students and young adults to construction careers, expanding awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and demonstrating that careers in the trades can provide a pathway to the middle class without the significant student debt often associated with traditional college education.
The campaign will also emphasize that the construction industry offers opportunities for people with a wide range of interests and abilities, including individuals who enjoy working with their hands, solving problems, working with technology, building things and seeing tangible results from their work.
The industry represents more than 20 skilled trades through building and construction trade unions, providing young people with a broad range of potential career paths. The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. and the Building Contractors Association of Westchester & The Mid-Hudson Region, Inc. have also emphasized the importance of expanding opportunities for women and other groups that have historically been underrepresented in the construction trades.
About the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc.
The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. represents more than 600 businesses that are part of the region's construction industry, including contractors, suppliers, consultants and other construction-related professionals.
The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. works to advance the Hudson Valley construction industry, promote infrastructure investment, create stable employment opportunities, support safe workplaces and provide meaningful career opportunities.
Photo caption: Attending the September 29 press conference were, from left, Kevin Coronado, Trainee Local 137 who is featured in the ad campaign and John Cooney Jr., Executive Director, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc.
