Presented by the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) and Build Your Future (BYF), the 3rd Annual I BUILT THIS video contest is now open.

According to BYF’s Ashleigh Potuznik, the contest was designed to provide aspiring craft professionals and their instructors an opportunity to showcase “outstanding construction projects and designs.”

“We established it in 2015 to engage NCCER construction-related programs from secondary and postsecondary education institutes,” she said. “We have received videos from all over the U.S. with past winners located in Arkansas, Louisiana and Illinois.”

Noting submissions have increased each year since the inception of the contest, Potuznik said prize package offerings have been enhanced, too.

“This past year, the competition prizes ranges from Lowes’ gifts cards to a GoPro HERO camera,” she said.

Prizes for this year’s contest include the following:

1st Place Prize Pack
Secondary & Postsecondary

GoPro Hero5 Black + Accessory Kit
$250 Visa Gift Card
Build Your Future Swag Box

2nd Place Prize Pack
Secondary & Postsecondary

GoPro Hero5 Camera
$100 Visa Gift Card
Build Your Future Swag Box

While the contest is fun for both students and instructors, the purpose behind it speaks to a very real need in industry.

“With the need for 1.5 million craft professionals by 2019, we must focus on building the next generation of skilled workers,” noted Potuznik. “The construction industry is looking for bright, motivated professionals to help fill this skills gap. Classroom activities like these are a great way to inspire students to continue craft training.”

CONTEST RULES
• Entries must showcase projects that are relevant to the construction or maintenance industries.
• Entries must contain a 1-3 minute video overview of the entire project.
• Videos must also contain verbal responses to each of the following questions:
-What is your name, grade or year in school and what state are you from?
-What is your project?
-Why did you build it?
-Why do you enjoy construction and building?
• Proper safety practices must be demonstrated by all individuals in the video when applicable. (Ex: hard hats, safety glasses, ear protection, etc.)
• Video dialogue must be audible over machinery, background noise, etc.
• Videos must be uploaded to Vimeo.com or YouTube.com.

All videos must be submitted by Oct. 23, 2017 at 8 p.m. EDT.

“This group activity is a great way to incorporate team building, communication skills and technology in the classroom,” added Potuznik.

To read over the rubric and review contest rules, visit https://www.nccer.org/i-built-this. More information may also be found at https://twitter.com/ABCNHVT.

Contest winners will be announced at the end of October in celebration of Careers in Construction Month.

Last year’s winners