The ramp-up of mega projects in our core markets has come as planned. Many are taking advantage of new delivery approaches, including prefabrication, that will shape how projects are built in the future.
At DPR, we believe that “who we build is as important as what we build”. Most exciting for our teams is how these projects develop the next generation of construction leaders by opening new career opportunities for administrative professionals and skilled tradespeople. At the same time, the industry is creating new pathways to construction careers with workforce development programs.
It’s a great time for people who are working on exciting and complex projects that are changing our industry, our communities and the world.
Great projects, great opportunities
The ongoing megaprojects represent an unprecedented scale in non-residential construction, often equaling the volume of a local office or even the revenue of an entire operating region.
This scale is creating new opportunities for project leaders to take on responsibilities that might otherwise take years to experience. It enables talented individuals to apply their knowledge and grow their skills at a pace and scale that has not traditionally been possible.
At DPR, nearly 6,500 employees perform administrative roles, primarily in project management, field leadership and support. More than 850 of them have chosen to work on mega-projects, either at local level or through our mobility program, which allows colleagues to work in new places in the region.
For example, Madeline Ziser, one of our project managers, went from working on projects in the San Francisco Bay Area to a data center project in rural Texas.
“Choosing to join the project has pushed my boundaries in all the right ways,” Ziser said. “I was able to take on a role that otherwise might not have been available to me, or at least, not yet in my career. My personal development seems to keep pace with the project schedule.”
A new era of opportunities in the skilled trades
While opportunities are expanding in the administrative realm, the impact is even greater for craft professionals. Megaprojects require a large capacity of artisanal labor, often exceeding 6,000 skilled professionals at maximum.
With this demand comes the opportunity to grow through career paths, including foreman, superintendent, security and beyond.
Joshua Herrera, General Electrical Foremen, transitioned from the field to a project engineering role while working on a mega project.
“Working on a mega-project has accelerated my career,” Herrera said. “It gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my skills to a wider group. My experience helped build my confidence that I could take on a new role sooner than I would have otherwise.”
These sentiments are shared by Superintendent Joshua Phillips: “Serving as Superintendent on a hyperscale data center project has been a career-defining opportunity that has significantly expanded my leadership and operational experience. It has strengthened my ability to communicate effectively with multiple business partners, coordinate complex and ever-evolving site logistics, and manage critical material deliveries without disruption.”
Building the pipeline for what comes next
Megaprojects also help to reshape career paths in trades. As more foremen join the team, we have the opportunity to help grow their leadership and communication skills in the DPR Foremen Development Program. More than 420 foremen have already taken the one-week course, certified by the NCCER.
Combined with our new builder development program, our participation in union apprenticeship programs, and DPR’s NCCER-certified in-house apprenticeship programs in select markets, these efforts are opening career paths for new skilled trades.
We’ve long believed that trades offer lifelong careers. Today, these career paths are increasingly diverse, and megaprojects are accelerating as fast as individuals can pursue them.
At the same time, project owners are helping to expand access to construction careers. In addition to local workforce programs, many are investing in technical education. For example, Meta recently launched America’s Workforce Academy, an initiative we look forward to supporting.
Beyond Construction: Lasting Impact on Talent
Construction is rapidly evolving, often with a focus on technology and delivery methods. Megaprojects add another important dimension: they are reshaping the way construction careers are built.
From the office to the field, professionals see megaprojects as a way to forge new career paths as they experiment, innovate, explore, and collaborate in new and unexpected ways.
Long after these projects are finished, their impact will live on in the talent they helped develop. While new technologies have transformed the way we build, the age of megaprojects is transforming what it means to build a career in construction.
