From High School to Heavy Construction: Build a Career Without the Debt
Graduating high school is an exciting milestone, but the pressure to figure out your next move can be overwhelming. If the idea of sitting in a college lecture hall for four years—only to graduate with a mountain of student debt—doesn’t appeal to you, it’s time to look at construction jobs in Kansas City. At Laborers’ Local 663, we offer high school graduates a direct pipeline into a high-paying, respected career straight out of school. You don’t need a four-year degree to build a successful life; you just need a strong work ethic and the willingness to learn.
Skip the Debt, Start Earning Immediately
The biggest difference between a traditional college path and joining LU 663 is the financial trajectory. Instead of paying tuition, you get paid from day one. Through the LiUNA apprenticeship program, you enter a “learn-while-you-earn” system.
Here is what your immediate future looks like with us compared to a typical college route:
- Zero Student Loans: All your professional training at our Belton facility is fully funded by the union.
- Guaranteed Wages: You start earning a competitive hourly wage immediately, with scheduled, contractual raises as you log hours and learn new skills.
- Immediate Independence: While your peers are studying for exams, you are earning a real paycheck, buying your first truck, and establishing financial independence right here in Kansas City.
Unbeatable Labor Union Benefits from Day One
A lot of entry-level jobs for high school grads offer low pay and zero security. Local 663 is different. Because we are a union, our members are backed by a collective bargaining agreement that secures elite labor union benefits.
Even as a young apprentice, you are building toward a secure future with:
- Comprehensive Healthcare: Top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance that fully covers you (and your future family) so you never have to worry about an unexpected medical bill.
- A Real Pension Plan: Every single hour you work on a union job site puts money into a defined-benefit pension fund, meaning you start planning for retirement in your late teens or early twenties.
What You’ll Learn: Becoming a Construction Professional
We don’t just hand you a shovel and call it a day. For contractors in KC, the union label represents elite skill. We turn high school graduates into highly technical construction specialists.
Through hands-on training, you will master skills that are in massive demand across Missouri’s infrastructure, including:
- Blueprint Reading & Surveying: Learning the math and engineering behind massive civil projects.
- Commercial Concrete Placement: Building the foundations for Kansas City’s newest skyscrapers, bridges, and highways.
- Heavy Equipment Operation: Safely operating the pneumatic tools, rigging, and machinery that power modern job sites.
- Safety Certifications: Earning your OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 credentials so you always know how to keep yourself and your crew safe.
Build the Infrastructure of Your Hometown
There is a unique pride in driving down I-70, crossing a newly updated bridge, or walking past a massive commercial development and saying, “I helped build that.” By choosing a career in heavy construction, you are leaving a permanent mark on the Kansas City landscape. It’s a career that offers physical activity, teamwork, variety, and the immense satisfaction of creating something tangible every single day.
Your Future is Waiting—Build It Today
You don’t have to follow the crowd into a classroom if your passion is out in the real world. Laborers’ Local 663 is ready to give you the tools, the training, and the union protection you need to turn your high school diploma into a lifelong, lucrative career.
Click here to visit our Apprenticeship page and start your journey today!