Construction Provides a Good Career Job
By: Edward J. Capodanno, Guest Contributor
It has become painfully obvious that the world has more diverse needs than colleges are intended to meet and the opportunities to have a fulfilling, exciting and diverse career are many and varied. We are proud to say a career in construction is one of the smartest and most rewarding career choices a person can make. For those interested in a career in construction, they should know they will start making a good income on day one avoiding student loan debt. Over the course of their career, they can be in the field, in an office, working as part of a team or supervising. The industry provides a direct pathway to personal prosperity and the ability to earn a high-quality living.
Nationally the average age of a construction worker is 47 and for every five people leaving the industry, just one is entering. At this rate, and over the next three years, the shortage of new workers could stall Delaware’s economic growth, which is now restarting.
As an improving economy – supported by a renewed focus on thoughtful economic development – creates new opportunities in Delaware, the need for vocationally trained and certified, skilled workers become even more important. The Delaware Department of Labor has identified our industry as the third fastest growing job growth industry over the next 5 years.
There are several opportunities to attract more individuals to enter the construction industry. First is an apprenticeship program, which is a structured training program that combines on-the-job experience with related classroom instruction to prepare individuals for skilled careers. It’s a way to earn a wage while learning a trade, leading to a nationally recognized credential upon completion that is recognized across the country, demonstrating mastery of the trade. Apprenticeships can lead to higher-paying jobs and further career advancement opportunities.
The impediment preventing the increase in the number of apprentices is that the Department of Labor requires ratios of apprentices to journeyperson. The current ratios are preventing companies from hiring apprentices due to either not having enough journeypersons to meet the ratio or they are currently at the ratio number and can’t hire anyone because it puts them over the limit and brings fines from the Department of Labor. In such cases, they must wait till current apprentice’s graduate before they can add additional ones. Reducing the ratio to 1 apprenticeship to 1 journeyperson will allow contractors to hire young entry level tradespeople that will fulfill their workforce needs while at the same time providing those individuals with a well-paying job with a solid career path that will provide for them and their family.
Finally, the other opportunity to increase our pool of potential workers is to create a career pathway in every traditional high school so that students are exposed to the construction trades. The shop classes that all of us were familiar with were replaced in the 1990’s by other career opportunities and this has hampered our industry’s ability to attract students. They are never exposed to the trades and not given the opportunity to see the career path they could have. Imagine allowing students in the traditional high schools who don’t have college aspirations, the ability to learn about the construction trades and the impact it would have on our industries ability to find workers. It would be a win win situation for all as young men and women would enter our industry thus reducing our workforce shortage and affording them a career path that would sustain them for life. We need the political will and foresight to make this happen and help the 3rd fastest growth industry with the opportunity to promote its career path to all high school students throughout the First State.
The construction industry is committed to developing the construction workforce of tomorrow. And remember, construction is one of the few industries where the vast majority of the work must be performed on-site and cannot be offshored. So, as your student, friend or family member explores careers that interest them, let them know that through a career in construction they can make a good living while performing valuable work. You won’t be disappointed.
Edward J. Capodanno, recently retired after 32 years as president of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Delaware. Before coming to ABC Delaware, he was the vice president of Marketing and Rehabilitation for Goodwill Industries of Delaware from 1988-1993.