10 Good Reasons To Explore The Trades
The average cost of a trade education is around $33,000, while acquiring a bachelor’s degree has been pegged at $127,000. What’s more, in many cases a trade education can be had for free through formal and informal apprenticeship training programs. Around 40% of college students drop out before obtaining a degree, often wasting tens of […]
Three Ways You Can Support the Next Generation of Skilled Workers
The struggle to attract young people to the skilled trades has been well-documented. We need to work together to ensure we have the people needed to offer these crucial services. Few industries offer the career stability and progression that the trades can provide. Additionally, skilled workers can choose to work for a company or lean […]
Trades Talk – May 2024
May 2024 Recipients of the “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” Grants Announced12 Schools to Receive Support to Create and Update Plumbing & HVAC Labs The “Explore The Trades Skills Lab, Built by Ferguson” equipment grants were announced on May 1, 2024, in celebration of National Skilled Trades Day. Twelve schools are the […]
The Skilled Trades Are Surging
A front-page article in the April 2, 2024 edition of the Wall Street Journal addresses a point I’ve made repeatedly in this blog. It describes the growing attraction of trade careers to members of what’s become known as Generation Z, generally defined as those born between 1995 and 2012 – which I suspect includes many […]
Avoid The Clash Of Generations
One of the reasons it’s such a good time to enter a skilled trade is because the existing work force is rapidly aging. The average trade worker Is over 50 years old and approaching retirement. Employers are desperate to recruit enough replacements. That’s the good news for young people entering the trades. The bad […]
Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half A Million
The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand for labor, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors, a construction industry trade association. “As the demand for construction services remains high, filling these roles with skilled craft professionals […]
A Shortage Is About To Become A Crisis
In writing this blog, I follow a variety of construction news sources. Sometimes I need to read between the lines to develop the full meaning of what’s going on. That’s what happened when I came across a recent news story stating that the construction industry will need to attract nearly 650,000* additional workers on top of […]
A Flip Side Of The Skilled Labor Shortage
In these blogs, I frequently detail the nationwide shortage of skilled trade workers. However, I ought to make it clear that not every trade employer faces that dilemma. I’ve spoken to quite a few trade employers who tell me they have no trouble filling their jobs and are happy with the people they hire. Who […]
The Skilled Labor Shortage By The Numbers
A common theme addressed in this blog is the nationwide shortage of skilled trade workers and the opportunities that spring from it for people who do opt for a career in the trades. Hardly a week passes when I don’t come across some startling information about this shortage. For instance, buried within an article in […]
Would You Relocate for a Job?
This blog exists to detail the advantages of a skilled trade career and point readers in the right direction to get started on one. Yet, this writer has done some soul searching and realized that the opportunities may not be universal. Even though there is a severe shortage of skilled trade workers nationwide, some rural […]