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First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

People classed as First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers. The skills rated most useful are coordination, speaking, and active listening. A regular part of the work is to inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met. The strongest interest signal is Enterprising (6.0 of 7), then Conventional (5.0) and Realistic, which gives it the code ECR. Getting in usually takes one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree, a level O*NET calls medium preparation. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking creative work with room for original expression.

What they do

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.

Main tasks

  • Inspect work progress, equipment, or construction sites to verify safety or to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Read specifications, such as blueprints, to determine construction requirements or to plan procedures.
  • Supervise, coordinate, or schedule the activities of construction or extractive workers.
  • Assign work to employees, based on material or worker requirements of specific jobs.
  • Coordinate work activities with other construction project activities.
  • Estimate material or worker requirements to complete jobs.

Skills

  • Coordination
  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Management of Personnel Resources
  • Critical Thinking
  • Time Management

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like taking the lead and making the call.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on coordination and speaking.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ECR takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Post-Secondary Certificate. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Coal Mine Production Foreman
  • Construction Foreman
  • Construction Supervisor
  • Electrical Supervisor
  • Field Operations Supervisor

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.