With the passage of additional infrastructure funding legislation, construction is on the verge of potentially explosive growth. While not all industry sectors will feel the impacts, and those impacts may not be realized until well into 2022 and 2023, industry pundits anticipate the industry to experience double-digit expansion, with Dodge Data & Analytics forecasting a 32% overall increase in construction starts over the next five years.
The biggest challenge associated with such exponential growth will be finding people to do the work. Fortunately, help may be on the way. According to a recent study by ECMC Group, the number of high school students who say they’re considering attending a four-year college has decreased substantially from 71% in May 2020 to just 48% in September 2021. More than half of survey respondents (53%) believed they could achieve professional success with three or fewer years of education, with trade skills and on-the-job training listed among the “quicker pathways to careers.” (1)
Yet, while more young adults may be willing to consider skilled trades and apprenticeship programs, the challenge as always is how to attract this next-generation workforce into construction careers. This has been an ongoing dilemma for an industry with a “rough and rugged” reputation and efforts to change perceptions have produced limited results.
In addition to reinforcing the numerous opportunities for a wide range of high-paying jobs both in the office and in the field, in order to attract workers, regardless of age or education, the construction industry must present itself as a desirable place to work. Today’s workers are seeking more than financial gain. They are looking for opportunities to make a difference, and they want to know they are working for a good company that will value their contributions, ensure a positive and safe work environment and provide career advancement potential.
There are ways to build a reputation as a great place to work, but there’s perhaps no better means than to get it straight from your existing workforce. This is one reason ForConstructionPros.com and Equipment Today, along with sister publications Asphalt Contractor, Concrete Contractor and Pavement Maintenance and Reconstruction, chose to recognize companies identified by their own employees as one of the Best Contractors to Work For in Construction.
To be considered for this recognition, nominated employers with 15 or more U.S.-based workers had to complete a survey about the company, then employees were given the chance to fill out their own survey about what it’s like to work there. Those that floated to the top included companies offering a positive workplace environment, good pay, training and opportunities for career advancement.
Being viewed as one of the best contractors in the country to work for can certainly open doors for attracting new hires into the business. We hope to share more on how these companies achieved this status over the coming months. In the meantime, please turn to page 39 to see which contractors made the list. Congratulations to all of the recipients and we hope to see even more of you included in 2022!
1 “Far Fewer High Schoolers Eye College, Survey Shows” by Medora Lee, www.thebalance.com
