October is Careers in Construction Month, so let’s talk about what we are doing as an organization to close the construction skilled workforce gap.
The numbers our industry faces
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics says we will need 1.6 million new construction workers by 2022.
- Four out of five Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) members report that there is a shortage of skilled labor.
- A quarter of construction workers are expected to retire in the next ten years.
Closing this skilled workforce gap is a huge challenge, but we are making headway in attracting people to construction. ABC members nationwide invest $1.1 billion annually in training (that’s billion with a “B”). Our chapters offer more than 800 apprenticeship, craft training and safety training programs around the country. Collectively, our members train 476.000 construction industry professionals a year.
We have also made strides in outreach to groups traditionally underrepresented in our industry. For example, women now hold 21 percent of management/supervisory positions at ABC member firms. While veterans already account for 23 percent of trade and craft professionals at ABC member companies, we are committed helping them translate their skills and leadership into jobs, and we recently joined in a pledge by industry groups to employ 100,000 veterans in the next five years.
ABC NorCal is an integral player in training California’s future workforce
- We train more than 500 individuals a year via our apprenticeship and craft training programs
- We recognize and honor the skills and talents of our workers through competitions and awards like our local Craft Competition, Apprentice and Mentor of the Year awards and scholarships to promote life-long learning and achievement at every level.
- We offer a wide variety of classes, webinars, workshops, assessments and certification programs to develop safety, trade, management and business development skills..
Megan Kilkenny is the Marketing Communications Director for ABC NorCal, a trade association dedicated to serving construction professionals from Fresno to the Oregon border. #lovewhatyoudo, #lovewhatyoubuild
