Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/548712
w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m A u g u s t 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 29 I N S I G H T O N C O N S T R U C T I O N B y A n d r e w S c h a i c k W hat to be when you grow up? Seems like a question all of us have asked ourselves a few times in life. For the construction industry, there is an all-out push to get people thinking about skilled trade jobs when answering the question. Currently, a growing labor shortage exists in many sectors of the construction industry. According to a survey conducted last year by the National Association of Home Builders, there are shortages in the number of carpenters, framers, HVAC and other specific trades that could threaten future growth in the industry. e survey showed 60 percent of builders experienced delays in completing projects on time, and 18 percent had to turn down projects as a result of labor shortages. Regional home building associations say the struggle to find skilled workers for their members is all too real. "I hear feedback from members that they have a need for not only entry-level positions, but also some highly-skilled Filling the gap Construction industry feels recession aftermath while trying to fill trade positions areas like cabinet making and carpentry," says Mari McAllister-Charles, executive officer for the Brown County Home Builders Association. "ere is a need for skilled labor within our industry." McAllister-Charles says most of her nearly 700 members have asked for help to recruit skilled labor for certain trade jobs. In response, programs are now in place to help recruit younger people to learn about the industry. "Places like Neighborworks and Habitat for Humanity work closely with area school districts to help get students more involved with hands-on experience," McAllister-Charles says. "We have programs in area high schools where students can get NWTC credit by helping in building a Habitat home or renovation projects." Even younger enthusiasts are not excluded from the industry. To help get tools in the hands of kids, Workers plaster the ceiling in a new home. C O U R T E S Y O F G R Y B O S K I B U I L D E R S I N C [continued ] » "We have programs in area high schools where students can get NWTC credit by helping in building a Habitat home or renovation projects." – M a r i M c A l l i s te r - C h a r l e s, exe c u t i ve o f f i ce r fo r t h e B row n Co u nt y Ho m e B u i l d e r s A s s o c i at i o n