During the Great Recession, there were many employment areas that were hit hard, but none were as bad as the construction industry. There was such a decline in the constructing and renovating of buildings, that too many people chose to walk away from that field and no one new was completing the necessary training.
Of course, the construction industry did rebound, like everyone knew that it would, but the workers were not as plentiful as in the past. In fact, there are less and less qualified construction workers applying for the jobs that are available in the field, which means that it is taking longer for these jobs to be completed.
In order to reverse the course that the construction industry is facing, numerous high schools and technical schools are creating programs where people can learn this type of trade easily. People can begin to learn within training opportunities at a college and then continue with an on the job apprenticeship.
With these types of training, people are not spending years in a classroom, while amassing thousands of dollars in debt. Instead, they are spending only as much time as necessary in a school setting, and then getting to work in the field, where they will gain an abundance of real life knowledge. These people will earn money during this type of apprenticeship, even though it won’t be as much as it will be when they are fully trained.
Construction companies want to avoid the labor shortages that they have faced in the past, by retaining all the new employees that are finally entering the field during this construction rebound. It is going to take a lot of work though, as there seems to be generational gaps between the management and the new workers.
Technology is going to play a major role in keeping these new workers on the job, which means that management is going to have to embrace these changes willingly. Change is always the one thing we can always count on, and technological advances are generally welcomed because they make our lives easier.
If you are finding that you have been struggling in your attempt to find qualified construction workers, you may want to set your sights on a nearby vocational school. They will be training the people that you need to perform the jobs that you have available. You can then offer the students an apprenticeship and strategize how you can keep them with your company for a very long time. It won’t be easy, but every other company in the world is facing the same dilemmas, even those who have nothing to do with construction.
Call us at 407-316-8544 if you’re in construction or one of the trades. We’re always on the lookout for skilled workers in central Florida and the surrounding areas.