Best Construction Classes in Chicago

What is Construction?

Loosely defined, construction is a complex series of techniques and skills necessary when crafting structures. Typically, this field breaks down into a handful of markets: residential, commercial, industrial, civic, etc. Each field focuses on specific buildings, such as residential builders who create homes, condos, and apartments. Arguably, construction forms the bedrock of human society: without these skills, there would be no place to live, work, or shop. 

Construction’s history mirrors that of mankind’s evolution throughout thousands of generations. For example, early man learned to make simple and temporary structures, such as throwing a few branches together to shelter themselves from the wind and rain. Thankfully, Chicago builders have come a long way since then! In fact, this market offers Windy City residents many potentially high-earning jobs that work well for anyone who’s not afraid to work hard to succeed.

Construction Classes in Chicago

As one of the largest cities in America, Chicago provides many learning opportunities for people interested in the construction field. These include in-person and virtual courses that can reinforce a student’s knowledge and ensure they walk away confident with their ability to succeed. Here are a few schools and four classes that might work well for Windy City residents.

Learn Construction

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VDCI

VDCI is a well-known contracting training team that offers high-quality courses that help students prepare for many careers. With flexible scheduling, dedicated instructors, 1-on-1 mentoring, and project-based learning, VDCI offers students many great experiences. These include subjects like AutoCAD, Revit, blueprint reading, interior design, BIM, and SketchUp

Construction Fundamentals Course Bundle

Construction Fundamentals Course Bundle offers 70 hours of hands-on instruction from an expert professor who truly cares about their students. Each session uses project-based exercises, including quizzes and a graded final project (alongside 1-on-1 bonus training) to help learners transition to a career in their field. Students pay $1,525 for this intensive program.

Blueprint Reading Fundamentals Course Bundle

Blueprint Reading Fundamentals Course Bundle teaches construction experts how to read blueprints, which is a critical skill in just about any market within this industry. By paying $558, skilled learners can access 30 hours of hands-on instruction, project-based training, quizzes, and a graded final project highlighting their skills and abilities to potential employers. 

Construction Management Fundamentals Course

Construction Management Fundamentals Course provides 40 hours of expert-led instruction, 1-on-1 bonus training, fun and real-world projects, quizzes reinforcing learning, and a final project highlighting a student’s skills. By paying just $600, learners will build a strong foundation in construction management, including project planning, logistics, and scheduling skills.

Chicagoland Associated General Contractors 

Chicagoland Associated General Contractors is a Windy City-based training team that provides onsite and online education for construction experts. Its courses focus on labor and government relations, business relationships, and ongoing education and training support. Members can also attend events, look for jobs, and sign up for the Chicagoland magazine.

Construction Supervision Fundamentals

Construction Supervision Fundamentals, available from the CAGC affiliate AGC Edge, trains students on the skills and attitudes necessary for construction supervision. Courses last about two weeks and cover team management, project leadership, scheduling, and more. Members pay about $1,100 to take this course, which saves nearly $400 on the non-member price. 

What Can You Do with Construction Training?

Completing a construction education program in Chicago prepares residents for an exciting career, one that can take them to better and more interesting places in life. However, even people who don’t want to change their jobs should consider mastering this topic. After all, it’s broad enough to be used by homeowners throughout the city in various interesting ways. 

Renovation Projects 

After completing a construction training course, many learners may feel more comfortable planning projects like a home addition, garage, shed, or extra landscaping. Even if they focus mostly on planning, rather than executing, their project, knowing how to design, budget, and layout a renovation can save homeowners time and money and bolster their mental health.

Budget a Home

People who learn construction typically study important budgeting concepts, such as material costs, work expenses, and labor prices. Understanding how to finance a project makes it easier to plan a home’s budget. For example, homeowners who know construction budgeting could track their money flow, see where they’re spending too much cash, and save some money.

What Will I Learn in a Construction Class?

The most comprehensive construction courses in Chicago cover a broad range of fascinating subjects to ensure that students walk away confident in their skills. They’ll not only get immersed in critical design theories but master hands-on building techniques as well. Since construction is both a physical and mental process, it requires mastery in concepts like:

• Building Knowledge: Depending on the class scope, students might learn about things like ironwork, masonry, plumbing, HVAC, surveying, renovations, framing, roofing, and more. These basic concepts lay the foundation for their career success.

• Engineering Skills: Most construction professionals know at least some basic engineering concepts, including proper floor layout and electrical wiring techniques. In this way, they can handle projects from a broad array of different markets.

• Important Technology: Often, construction courses in the Windy City cover AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Illustrator, and other important software tools. Understanding these programs makes it easier for contractors to produce high-quality, long-lasting projects.

• Planning Processes: All construction requires extensive planning, including budgeting everything and creating blueprints and floor plans. Knowing these steps makes it easier for students to transition into a rewarding and high-earning career.

What Kinds of Training Options are Available to Learn Construction?

Chicago learners interested in construction can choose between in-person and online courses to improve their education. In-person programs include physical classrooms where students can study directly with a teacher and their peers. They also get access to computers, software, and other tools that make it easier for them to master construction concepts. Readily available from many colleges and universities, in-person construction courses work well for many learners. 

Live online courses emulate this approach by streaming sessions directly from a teacher. Rather than breaking down classes into pre-recorded videos, virtual programs like these offer a real-time approach. Students ask their teachers questions, learn more about construction, get real-world examples, and even talk with new friends during these sessions. High-quality training teams even offer 1-on-1 mentoring that helps reinforce critical skills during challenging studies. 

Learners may also choose on-demand programs that use a structured curriculum to help reinforce construction knowledge. These classes are asynchronous, meaning learners can complete video lessons, exercises, and quizzes at their own pace. Some might feel comfortable completing multiple sessions a day, while others handle them more slowly. In this way, they can reinforce their skills at whatever speed make the most sense for their specific learning style. 

Similar to on-demand, self-directed classes use a more personalized approach that attendees can adjust to their learning preferences. However, they also get a teacher or mentor who can answer their questions, reinforce their knowledge, and bolster their abilities. In this way, self-directed programs offer a unique blend of on-demand and live online classes that might work well for motivated learners who still want a little extra help mastering new skills.

Choosing the Right Training Method for You

The main benefits of in-person education include comprehensive teacher support and easier access to learning materials. After all, even live online programs don’t place students in the same room with their professors. Even better, these classes offer all the materials a learner needs to get started in construction. Unfortunately, these programs do cost more than online options and require students to fight their way through busy Chicago traffic, which is no fun. 

By contrast, live online sessions require no physical attendance, meaning people can study at home or wherever they have easy internet access. As a result, attendees can lounge on their couch while learning critical construction techniques. More impressively, they get real-time access to their professor and peers to improve their skills. However, these courses have strict attendance demands and require learners to sign on at a specific time every day to study. 

Those students who don’t like the strict requirements of live online courses may prefer on-demand. These classes work well for very busy people because they can filter in study as they please. So, rather than sitting down and listening to a teacher for a few hours at specific times, they can do them whenever it makes sense. However, these relatively inexpensive courses usually have little to no teacher support, which might be touch for many to handle.

Upgrading to self-directed helps students receive teacher support while taking a class at their own pace. This approach naturally blends the benefits of live online sessions and asynchronous programs to provide a great alternative to both. The one downside is the “neither fish nor fowl” syndrome. In other words, self-directed offers less teacher support than live online and less freedom than on-demand. However, they’re still a great option for dedicated Chicago learners.

How Hard is it to Learn Construction?

Mastering construction-related skills in Chicago will take some time and effort. While people with lots of experience, such as contractors and even design specialists, may find it easier, others will struggle. In fact, the learning challenge for skills like BIM can be fairly steep, even for contractors. Thankfully, a high-quality training course can easily streamline this experience and provide long-term career benefits by solidifying a learner’s capabilities quickly and efficiently.

What are the most challenging parts of learning Construction?

The toughest part about learning construction lies in understanding all the many laws, guidelines, and rules dictating complex projects. For example, people designing and building houses must know what materials they can use, how to balance specific layouts, techniques for managing load-bearing elements, and more. A handful of construction bootcamps can bring many of these elements together, reduce confusion, and help learners thrive. 

How Long Does it Take to Learn Construction?

Chicago residents dedicated to learning construction should know how long it’ll take them to master this skill set. Unfortunately, a single bootcamp won’t be enough to complete their career education. Instead, it’s more likely to take a year or more, depending on their prior experience, willingness to study, and natural abilities. Thankfully, most bootcamps provide extra educational resources and projects that help solidify these techniques in powerful, rewarding ways.

Can I Learn Construction Free Online?

People interested in learning construction can definitely use tools like free seminars and YouTube channels to practice a few skills. These resources are beneficial supplements to bootcamps and more hands-on educational opportunities. That said, they’re simply not comprehensive enough to replace guided training. Put simply, professional skill development can’t be learned for free and only comes through hard work and a lot of practice. 

What Should I Learn Alongside Construction?

Anyone serious about mastering construction in Chicago should also study related skills that help them lay the foundation for their careers. Many of these concepts are covered in construction bootcamps, though others require outside courses that focus specifically on these concepts and techniques. Just a few topics worth mastering alongside construction include:

• Carpentry: While not every construction project uses woodworking or carpentry skills, knowing these techniques can help builders in so many ways. For example, they’ll better understand project planning by fully grasping its unique scope and resources. 
• Power Tools: Even if a construction expert works more in planning and design, mastering hand and power tools is critical. After all, understanding how they operate can help them better plan projects properly, including budgeting enough work hours. 
• Blueprint Analysis: Builders should have some essential blueprint reading skills before starting any project. They don’t necessarily have to be expert drafters but should feel comfortable looking at a layout and intuitively understanding what it represents. 
• Design Software: While not everybody in construction works in design, it’s still a great idea to know some essential tools, like AutoCAD and SketchUp. Doing so can help them understand blueprints and even produce effective project layouts and floor plans.
• Financial Elements: The best construction experts not only understand basic design and building steps but also budgeting. After all, they must streamline their process to save money and ensure they meet their customers’ financial expectations/needs.
• Customer Service: Construction experts should understand some basic customer service skills because they often work directly with the public. These abilities will help them thrive in just about any job outside of this market, such as sales.

Industries that Use Construction

Chicago’s expansive industrial sector requires construction professionals who can create high-quality, efficient, and strong houses, commercial facilities, and industrial developments. There are literally hundreds of companies within a dozen markets hiring for construction experts, meaning it shouldn’t be too hard to find a rewarding position in:

• Residential Building: Chicago builders like Kathcon Development, A. Perry Homes, Gander Builders, Harpe Development, New Explode Construction, and M House Development require highly trained construction experts to join their teams.
• Heavy Engineering: Windy City industrial contractors like Meade, Graycor, Sheck Industries, AMS Mechanical System, and Pernix Group need specialized experts who deeply understand this market and who can produce high-quality work quickly. 
• Landscaping: Landscaping companies in Chitown, such as McAdam Landscaping, Wester DuPage Landscaping, Fenceworks, CB Conlin, and Chicago Green Design, demand construction experts to handle complex and wide-reaching projects of all types.
• Architecture: Chicago architecture firms, like SCB, JAHN, JacobsRyan Associates, Hoerr Schaudt, STLarchitects, and JGMA, all need construction experts, particularly estimators and designers, to help handle their many broad-reaching projects.
• Non-Profit Building: Non-profit or charity building firms, like The Community Builders, Turnstone Development, Preservation of Affordable Housing, and Chicago Development Fund, require construction experts to craft great houses for those in need.

Construction Job Titles and Salaries

Chicago construction careers offer Windy City residents the fantastic opportunity to earn great money that may transform their lives for the better. These positions often focus heavily on design, as well as project and product management skills that make it easier to shift between different industries quickly and efficiently. Just a few careers that may interest them include:

• Drafter: As a Drafter, Chicago residents will work with architects, engineers, and construction experts to produce high-quality plans and layouts for their projects. Salaries include a US average of $70,000 and a Chicago median of around $71,000.
• Construction Estimator: A Construction Estimator gauges the costs of projects, including their materials and labor expenses, to plan them more efficiently. Individuals in this career make around $81,000 a year, though salaries may vary depending on region.
• Construction Project Manager: A career as a Construction Project Manager immerses Chicago residents in the building world and asks them to oversee all project elements. Salaries in this career include a national $94,000 average and $107,000 in Chitown.
• Architect: An Architect uses CAD software and other design tools to plan buildings and infrastructure, especially in the pre-construction phase. This high-earning job includes a $108,000 national median with an average of around $120,000 in Chicago.

Construction Corporate Training

Corporate construction training helps firms educate their whole team quickly and efficiently. Whether they just hired a new influx of first-time builders or need to fine-tune their design team’s skills, these courses reinforce fundamental skills and lay the bedrock for success in construction. Thankfully, VDCI offers multiple corporate courses. These online programs provide intensive education with a discounted bulk voucher financing system that helps reduce costs.

All these benefits make VDCI the kind of training company that building firms can trust to educate large numbers of construction experts quickly and expertly. Whether preparing students for hands-on or management jobs, VDCI is ready to help! Anyone interested in setting up these extensive group sessions can send an email to partnerships@vdci.edu to learn more about pricing models, get an in-depth estimate, and schedule exciting, rewarding training sessions.