Amid a thriving building and development boom, the construction industry finds itself struggling to attain the needed amount of skilled labor. The workforce, made up of men and women trained to handle the demands of the construction industry, is poised to add to its ranks. The shortfall of trained, talented workers poses many downfalls to this thriving community.
While the National Association of Home Builders states that 82% of its members cite availability and cost of construction laborers as their greatest concern, less than 15% of that number is tied to labor cost. That means the vast majority of concerns stem from finding the needed workers. As requests for custom homes increase, home builders are looking for skilled workers. Those steel-toed boots must be filled if the construction industry is to meet its demands and deliver building projects on time. Those numbers provide a significant inroad for women in construction.
Women willing to join the construction labor force and work alongside their male and female peers are in high demand. For women who are already employed in the building industry, this is an ideal time to bring other women along for the journey. As the Baby Boomer generation retires, the doors are open for Millennials, and Generation Xers to grow into this exciting field.
This is also an opportune time to interest girls and teens in careers in construction. As fewer and fewer high schools across the country teach wood and metal shop classes, community colleges continue to offer them. Apprenticeships are also available as well as opportunities for hands-on learning. The construction industry is never going away. As our population grows, so will the need and demand for residential and commercial real estate and development. The existing labor shortage can be more readily abated when women are considered in the recruitment process and in the filling of vital roles
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