Welcome to “At Home With Tom and Sandy!”
We are here to give you the inside scoop on the construction industry; what’s up, what’s down, what’s hot, and what’s not. We’ll share our thoughts, thinking – and, of course, opinions – on construction, remodeling, home prices, building permit numbers, construction pointers and give you hints on renovations that will give you a return on your investment and, as they say, so much more.
There is plenty going on in the housing and construction industry and we want to share some fantastic, cool, groovy and helpful information with you. We are going to use our insight and local expertise to help you save time, money and surmount obstacles of all kinds. So, settle in and enjoy. We are going to talk about the key issue of the industry workforce and what we are faced with locally.
Tom: Sandy, I want to begin with a huge “‘atta girl” to you for helping to set up the Workforce meeting at Yavapai College a few weeks ago.
Sandy: Thanks, Tom, it was a lot of work but well worth it and the foremost thanks goes to Yavapai College and their team for recognizing the future of the construction industry is at an all-time red alert situation. Sending out superior thanks through our column to Ron Liss Ph.D, vice president Instruction & Student Development, Rodney Jenkins, vice president Community Relations, Lisa Schlegel M.Ed., coordinator Community Relations and Billie Norris, executive assistant for VP for Instruction and Student Development. These folks were the team that brought forward the focus group to discuss the best strategies to increase the future workforce’s quantity and quality.
Tom: I had the pleasure of attending the focus group, which was very timely. The cross section of the construction industry you pulled together was as diverse as it was impressive. I was not shocked to hear the pervasive and widespread lack of qualified workers to choose from locally, as I hear the same concerns in the nationwide Remodelers group that I belong to. Everyone from Washington state to Florida and Ottawa, Canada, are struggling.
Sandy: I know! As you are aware, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many skilled tradespeople left the construction industry in 2008, and found jobs in more stable industries. They are not coming back.
Tom: A fact I am only too aware of. We, as business owners, have very little control over the market’s volatility, and struggle with these issues too many times. I have been through about seven or eight of these cycles over my 40-year career and I wish there were some way to smooth out the bumps of workforce issues.
Sandy: If you figure that one out, mister, let me know. We could make a fortune! The short-term lack of skilled trades is bad enough, but I fear it pales in comparison to the looming issue of the next generations. I have heard that by 2020, as the ‘boomers’ retire, there will be a gap of over 30 million unfilled positions throughout the trades.
Tom: That is so true. The lack of manpower with people overlooking opportunities within the trades is becoming an epidemic for our industry – or I should say is already an epidemic. I have high hopes that some program or programs will result from the YC workforce meeting I mentioned earlier. The apprenticeship to mechanic process has been a good one through the unions, but that is not always a desirable path. Small businesses need to work with local institutions to mentor young people wanting to get into the trades. We really need to focus on high schools because the construction industry has various paths that lead up to management that are great opportunities for a lot of kids who do not go to college.
Sandy: That is exactly the kind of thinking our industry needs. Those attending the workforce meeting seemed to feel the same way. We need to engage our young folks through high school, JTED and community colleges in conjunction with our businesses both large and small to look at the trades as another route to a career.
Sandy: Tom, what are your thoughts on how to engage a lot of these people a lot sooner? I am even thinking about elementary school. It used to be that construction was stigmatized as secondary or almost career of last resort – no more for sure. Construction is a viable, well-paying career.
Tom: I like telling the tale of two high school graduates, one goes off to college for four years and hits the workforce with a bachelor’s degree. Starting out at maybe $50,000 per year, with which they most likely need to pay off tuition debt.
The other went to a work in the trades at a ground floor level at maybe half the starting salary of the bachelor’s grad, but four years later, having applied themselves, could be earning $60,000 to $70,000 per year with no debt.
From there, it is up to each of them to go as far as their imaginations and drive take them.
Sandy: I love it! We have been preaching that for some time now. Our marketing to the upcoming generation needs to be better. We need to show how rewarding it is to create something with their hands, every day.
Tom: I hear stories about people graduating with bachelor’s degrees who can’t get jobs in their field of study at all or need to go back to college to get a higher degree incurring more debt. This also postpones them from entering the marketplace.
Sandy: We attended the career day at Glassford Hill Middle school a few weeks back, and boy was that great. I recall one young lady in our group who wanted to own and operate her own business. What a terrific goal! Her determined and confident demeanor makes me think she will make it happen. There is so much potential in this industry for the younger generation because they can contribute to their own development and progress and form their own career.
Tom: I couldn’t agree more, Sandy. At Renovations, the conversation has already started on how we can engage young people and begin the mentoring process. I am excited that our team is wanting to pursue this issue further.
Sandy: As a baby boomer and experienced workforce guy, you are going to retire one of these decades, Tom. I am happy to hear that you want to leverage the young people and share the knowledge of the construction industry that will certainly be a boost to the efficiency to the workforce. Mentoring and development is a partnership and the industry has changed, no longer it is just a job, but the industry is a rewarding individualized growth plan.
Tom: There is a benefit of working in the industry – I say be creative, be bold and be brave.
Sandy: And I say the construction industry built America. We’ve come a long way, baby, but we’ve got a long way to go. Let’s get it done. The experience of working in the industry is priceless.
Thanks for stopping in “At Home with Tom and Sandy.” You’re in good company and we love sharing educational, fun and important information with you. See you next month. QCBN
By Sandy Griffis and Tom Reilly
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