The construction industry faces a stark shortage of workers, but programs and people across the country are working at the local level to solve the problem. This series highlights those efforts helping to recruit the next generation of construction pros. Read previous entries here.
Do you know of a group that is helping to attract workers to the construction industry? Let us know
A group of over 140 high school students gathered in the parking lot of Catalina High School in Tucson, Arizona, at 8 a.m. on Feb. 7.
For the next six and a half hours, they competed across seven different categories, including carpentry, masonry, plumbing and electrical work, showing off their trade skills for judges, who are also local contractors.
The Tempe-based Arizona Builders Alliance is a statewide support organization of nearly 400 member firms that partners with the Associated General Contractors of America and Associated Builders and Contractors. It has run the competition since 2019, according to Kim Davids, ABA CEO.
“It's just a really, really great opportunity for the youth and the teachers to integrate with our member companies and try and get the students excited about a career or potential career in construction,” Davids told Construction Dive.
The contest is part of SkillsUSA’s construction competition, taking place in the organization’s Region 6. SkillsUSA, a national student and workforce development nonprofit, runs national contests, but the more local ones — such as Arizona’s — are run by the state or other regional affiliates.
Davids said many of the students are already enrolled in technical schools or other career and technical education programs, but some are simply passionate about pursuing the trades.
Recruitment, retention, education
The event is a major stepping stone for young people starting their careers, since many in attendance may already wish to pursue the trades, said Michael Goodwin, business development manager for Tucson-based J.B. Steel and ABA member for over a decade.
“Basically this event plants seeds, it gives the kids that are in the CTE programs the chance to come out and show us the different skills they’ve learned,” Goodwin told Construction Dive. “It helps build the depth for kids to understand what a real career is and what their goals are.”
But the event is not just for showcasing, reinforcing and assessing students.
“Through this annual competition, the ABA exemplifies the power of industry partnerships in shaping vocational education and changing perceptions of trade careers among students and parents alike,” Gilbert Maldonado, ABA program manager, said in a news release about the event.
Davids echoed that, saying reaching the families of individuals interested in the trades is vital.
“It's for the parents as well sometimes and the teachers. I feel that in my career, what I've seen is that there's been a stigma and people just think, ‘Well, construction's what you do when you've exhausted all your other opportunities,’” Davids said.
Nonetheless, opinions about tradework may have begun to shift. A new independent study by Wakefield Research for the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association found that 89% of parents with children currently in high school think it’s smart for young adults to consider pursuing the trades.
The study said parents took into account the job market, economy and college debt in their opinion. Slightly less than half have had their child mention wanting to pursue a trade, while 86% said they’d be open to or encourage a craft skills career.
Finally, Goodwin said that this event helps showcase for employers and students how the industry is growing. For example, builders getting to display how they’ve adopted on-site technology, such as tablets rather than two-dimensional drawings, can work as a recruitment tool.
“Innovation is making business,” Goodwin said. “It’s not the same old construction you’re used to in the past.”
