Addressing the Skilled Workers Shortage

 

The hardest hit industries in the last recession were construction and manufacturing.   “The U.S. lost about 2.1 million construction jobs from December 2007 when the recession began through January 2011, when the industry’s employment hit its lowest level since 1996,” reports an article in Finance and Commerce.   

One of the unintended consequences was that many workers left the industries and went back to school or retrained for jobs in the business or service sectors, thus creating a skilled labor shortage.  Even the number of young people enrolling in vocational or technical programs declined as there were no signs of future job opportunities and not much encouragement to enter the fields. 

 

Another problem contributing to the shortage is the aging of skilled laborers.  Forbes Magazine cites a study from EMSI, done in 2012, that indicates 53% of skilled-trade workers in the U.S. were 45 years or older.  Furthermore, more than 18.6 percent were between the ages of 55 and 64.  Some states such as Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New Hampshire have a skilled labor force that is more than 60% over the age of 45. 

The Forbes article states, “The heavy proportion of older skilled-trade workers puts into focus more than just the pending retirement for baby boomers and oft-cited but rarely quantified gap between the skills that employers need and available workers possess. It also touches on the fact that American high schools have largely shifted their focus to preparing students for four-year colleges rather than vocational school.”

The good news is that many states are starting to expand community college and vocational training programs to help meet the demand for skilled construction workers.  In addition companies are making an effort to recruit young workers and get the word out about the benefits of having a well-paying, steady job in the construction industry.  There is even a national campaign lead by celebrity, Mike Rowe, to promote skilled labor careers and alternative education programs.

 

Sources:

finance-commerce.com/2013/08/labor-shortages-slow-us-home-rebound/#ixzz2tgl8ed7w

forbes.com/sites/emsi/2013/03/07/americas-skilled-trades-dilemma-shortages-loom-as-most-in-demand-group-of-workers-ages/

Conco is one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western United States and offers a range of quality services.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.  We have four regional offices in California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and Colorado to serve our customers.