It’s no secret that the construction labor force has been in a decline for the past several years. Much of the blame for the shortage falls on our nation’s increasing focus on graduating high school students getting into college and the lack of available technical colleges. Workforce shortages can not only affect individual jobs and their schedules, but may also have a broader impact on the nation’s economy. Not only do we have a current workforce shortage, it will continue to get worse as our labor pool is aging and millions of workers are expected to retire in the next 10 years.
So what can we do to stop the shortage? The Associated General Contractors of America recently came up with a list of 9 ways to combat the looming issue in their research piece titled, Next Generation of Skilled Construction Workers: A Workforce Development Plan for the 21st Century.
In it, the AGC explains the need to revive the Perkins Act, encourage funding of technical and vocational schools, improving the Workforce Investment Act, easing the path for War Veterans to get hired and trained, supporting partnerships with apprenticeship programs and community colleges, expanding federal apprenticeship programs, reforming immigration policies, providing tuition free technical school classes to high school students, and simplifying the process of creating public institutions focused on technical careers.
There are many people and organizations out there putting a lot of effort into improving the workforce labor pool situation, but is a responsibility of everyone involved in the construction industry.
What other ideas to YOU have to reduce the effects of the shrinking construction labor pool? Comment below!
Next Generation of Skilled Construction Workers: A Workforce Development Plan for the 21st Century| AGC.org
