22
BUSINESS SURVEY
Over the next 12–18 months, you anticipate labor availability to:
50%
1% 13% 29% 5%
Increase significantly Increase slightly Decrease slightly Decrease significantly
Stay the Same
Over one-third of respondents indicated a decrease in labor availability in the next 12–18 months.
How should the industry address the decrease in skilled labor? Education & Training •W e need better training programs in higher
education. •S tart educating kids to think for themselves to
become the best, most responsible workers they can. Adults need to quit thinking for kids and having them become so dependent. It’s very difficult to change a person’s work ethic during their peak working years, so we need to start young, like we used to in the skilled trades. •P romote skilled trades in high school and
realize that not all students are college material. Present a more professional image for the skilled trades. •W e might need to recruit in other areas of
the country, but also reach out to the various educational organizations here and partner with them.
•O ur industry needs to do a better job
of educating young workers with the concept that our business is not for the low-skilled or uneducated. We have got to elevate the status of our workers to being desirable. •H ave incentives for people to learn a new
trade or skill. •M aybe reach out to military organizations
or partner with them in some way? •P ut shop programs and training back in
schools. Let the kids know that there is pride in doing a good, hard day’s work, and that there are careers out there in construction. •W e are already training our own younger
staff, in-house. •W e need to stress the need for young
folks going into trade schools instead of college and stress the benefits of working with your hands.