Labor Shortage: Building back the trades
By Andrew Yankowsky
Last year, 2017, the construction industry added 226,000 jobs1 and the housing Market was in full force with a 9.8% growth rate for building single family homes from the previous year. Almost 80 percent of small businesses say their companies are stronger than ever. So, why is there such a labor shortage for workers in the trades?
First of all, as a “millennial”, my generation was coached through our adolescence that going to college was the only real option to get a good paying job to support our future families. The trades were looked upon as negative for the future “blue collar” workers and were taught that the “white collar” jobs would be the only way for a successful life for us and our children. Although, now we’ve seen the student loan crisis reach an all time high at 1.3 Trillion dollars and climbing higher and higher as we speak. 2
Secondly, the aging work force and the difficulty finding workers between the ages of 18-25 have played a major role in the labor shortage for now and in the future. 53% of the construction industry is 45 years or older. For every five workers that retire, only one new worker enters the field. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently surveyed the age groups from 18-25 and only 3 percent of the people that were surveyed had any interest in the construction industry.3 So, how do we fix this?
For starters, we need to educate the youth, tomorrow’s workforce, on the benefits of the trades industry. With the national debt for college tuition being at an all time high, it is important that we inform the young workers about the job security in this industry for their future by building back the trades. Salaries are on the rise. An average rate for a construction worker is $26/ per hour in the United States.3 Without taking the initiative to educate our future workers, the construction industry will only get worse. Who will build our houses, fix our toilets, or add new ambiance lighting to the desired areas of our homes? As a society built on trades, we cannot live without them. Planning on future education for these workers is a must.
So, how can we change the future to save the trades? More education? More training facilities? More awareness? More funding to programs focused on the industry? Yes, Yes, and Yes!! A change in the labor shortage will not happen overnight, but with a few steps forward, the industry can get back on track by addressing these issues. Let’s build back the trades so we can learn to build again.
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