(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NCCER and its Build Your Future (BYF) initiative are once again declaring October as Careers in Construction Month. Throughout the month, industry and education partner locally to host events that introduce students to rewarding construction careers.

So far, 15 states and the District of Columbia have filed proclamations declaring October 2016 as Careers in Construction Month. Any state resident can file a proclamation for his or her governor to sign, which can take anywhere from two weeks to over two months. To simplify the process, BYF.org provides each state’s guidelines and a sample proclamation. To encourage to participation, BYF is giving away a $50 Visa gift card to each of the first five states that submits a photo of the official proclamation signed by the governor.

BYF also offers a number of online resources to help organizations participate in Careers in Construction Month, including How To: Plan a Career Day guide and Helpful Hints for Career Day Exhibitors. Organizations can even register their events at BYF.org for added promotion.

With shortages of craft professionals across the country, now is the time to promote construction careers in each state. Recognizing October as Careers in Construction Month can generate publicity for the construction industry and help promote career opportunities. For the latest news and updates on career events visit facebook.com/BYFcampaign and follow twitter.com/buildyourfuture.

About NCCER — NCCER is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) education foundation created by the construction industry to develop standardized curriculum with portable credentials and to help address the skilled construction workforce shortage. NCCER is recognized by the industry as the training, assessment, certification and career development standard for the construction and maintenance craft professional. For more information, visit www.nccer.org or contact NCCER customer service at 888.622.3720.

About Build Your Future – Build Your Future (BYF) is NCCER’s national image enhancement and recruitment initiative for the construction industry. Its mission is to recruit the next generation of craft professionals by making career and technical education a priority in secondary schools, shifting negative public perception about careers in the construction industry and providing a path from ambition, to training, to job placement as a craft professional. BYF provides a number of resources to assist industry, education and military organizations in achieving these goals. For more information, visit www.byf.org.