The Construction Industry Needs Workers

Per the November 22, 2022, Construction Drive, “the construction industry needs workers, and the current supply is not measuring up to demand. Older workers in the skilled trades are retiring and not enough young people are training to take their jobs as construction workers, plumbers, and electricians. “

That gap is expected to widen as federal funding flows into new infrastructure projects around the country, requesting even more labor.  Per the January 5, 2023, NPR Report, the application rate for technical jobs like plumber and electrician dropped by 49% between 2020 and 2022.  Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, stated that “as America de-industrialized in the second half of the 20th century, education was reimagined to emphasize seeking four-year degrees.  As a result, we have a K-through-12 system that does create ... more high school graduates but doesn’t do any job training.

Four-year college is held up as the ultimate goal for every student.” Per Georgetown University analysis, “some 30 million jobs in the U.S., paying an average of $55,000 per year, do not require a bachelor's degree.  Meanwhile, student debt is rising and only two-thirds of those with degrees say the debt was worth it.”