Programs Address Shortages of Skilled Construction Workers - 2/9/2004 - Real Estate Education Training Schools Conferences

Programs Address Shortages of Skilled Construction Workers

Speaking at last month’s International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, David Ellis, executive vice president of the Collier Building Industry Association in Naples, FL, explained how the BIA established an education/industry partnership with an area high school that enables students to gain academic enrichment, practical experience, career awareness and ultimately, access to employment opportunities.

“Our challenge was to figure out how to improve the industry image with the students,” said Ellis. “We integrated a curriculum directly in the classroom so that students could begin seeing the connections between their studies and real-world activities and occupations.”

With the help of nearly two dozen HBA members who volunteered their time and materials, a 5,400 square-foot lab was constructed at the school to enable students to engage in small masonry, plumbing and electrical projects. Playhouses were built and sold, and the proceeds were funneled back to scholarship programs for the students.

As the students go through the program, local builders offer summer pre-apprenticeship jobs followed by an opportunity to enter an apprenticeship program after graduation. Engineering and technology internships are also available for students seeking to move on to college.

“This has let the students see that home building is a diversified field that offers plenty of opportunity. We are energizing a workforce that will come into our industry,” said Ellis. “As an added bonus, it has also done wonders to help our industry’s image in the community.”

 

Building on the program’s success, Ellis said that the BIA is adding a second program at another local high school that is projected to accommodate 150 students.

According to Carolee Mills, vice president of workforce development at the Home Builders Institute (HBI), more than 150 occupations — in crafts, technology and business — are required to build a home.

“There were 6.7 million workers in our industry in 2001 and we will need an additional 1.5 million workers by 2010 just to sustain the productivity that we have today,” she said.

HBI, through Job Corps and other programs, trains 3,000 to 5,000 new workers annually.

To help develop the next generation of residential construction employees, Steve Kramer, HBI’s vice president of marketing, said the organization has developed a Residential Construction Academy Series of textbooks and CD-Roms covering crafts, trades, carpentry, electrical principles, home wiring and more. The information is being distributed to high schools, vocational schools and two-year colleges.

In a related area aimed at providing worker training to improve the bottom line, Paul Mashburn, president of Viking Builders Inc. in Winter Park, FL, described how the Residential Construction Superintendent (RSC) designation can benefit current site personnel who want to excel in this position.

The program was developed by HBI and the Florida Home Builders Association, and has attracted nearly 2,000 participants over the past year.

Superintendents who go through the program learn how to improve planning and scheduling skills to increase profits, effectiveness and on-time deliveries. The classes also cover customer service and home owner relations, detail how to protect safety and security on the job site, show how to enforce code compliance at the work site and lay out successful recruitment strategies for subcontractors and employees.

For an updated listing of RSC designation courses and locations, click here.