As Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter prepares to hold its 10th annual Craft Championships, president and CEO Laurie Kendall knows this one will be a bit different. The event will be her swan song; she announced her resignation in late August, and it will take effect Nov. 22.

In 20 years as the chapter’s president, Kendall said her greatest achievement was bringing ABC’s National Craft Championships – an event in which apprentices compete in their trade – to a local forum.

“The first time I saw it, it was one of the most amazing experiences because the young men and women competitors, as they were going out onto the floor, all of the ABC members were applauding them,” Kendall said of the national event.

Kendall first served ABC as director of member services. Seven years later, the Pacific Northwest chapter’s board of directors asked her to serve as president. But now Kendall wants to try something different, she said, even though she doesn’t know yet what that will be.

The chapter’s board will select a new president; it’s working with ABC National in the search. Kendall will work with the chapter on the transition. The board is utilizing multiple avenues, both locally and nationally, to find a replacement, chairperson Stephanie Cannon stated in an email.

The chapter’s board has been generous, Kendall said, in developing her skill set over the years. She asked that the chapter become an accredited sponsor of the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), a nonprofit that provides credentials for construction industry professionals. High schools must have a sponsor to teach the curriculum, she explained. Kendall became a master trainer to certify high school teachers to teach the curriculum. Now students can start apprenticeships immediately after high school.

“ABC is with you throughout your entire career,” Kendall said.

This year, ABC started a Young Professionals program for people younger than age 40 who want to advance higher in their career or even start their own company.

One of the persistent challenges facing ABC and the construction industry is the skilled labor shortage. Too few young people are entering the industry, Kendall said. She wants to ensure that teenagers know that there are career paths aside from attaining a four-year degree from a university.

The Pacific Northwest chapter’s Craft Championships is an opportunity for students to see the trades in action. The event was structured to spotlight sheet metal and HVAC apprentices. Like in the national competition, the apprentices take a written test. Those with the highest scores are eligible to enter the local competition.

Several years ago, the local chapter started inviting high school students to attend the event. In addition to watching the competitions, they can try using heavy equipment from the Northwest College of Construction and cutting glass from Salem-based Dallas Glass. Students also are informed of available apprenticeship programs. Last year, 1,000 high school students attended, Kendall said.

This year’s local Craft Championships will take place Thursday at the Kliever Armory in Portland.

ABC’s Pacific Northwest chapter provides local winners of the HVAC and sheet metal competitions with paid trips to the national event in the spring. Next year, it will be featured with the ABC national convention on March 18-20 in Salt Lake City.

The post ABC chapter’s president reflects ahead of signature event appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

A coalition of construction contractors this past Friday filed a lawsuit challenging Gov. Tina Kotek’s executive order that requires project labor agreements for most state projects.

The lawsuit, filed in Marion County Circuit Court, comes after Kotek’s order drew strong backlash in the construction industry. The contractors allege Kotek “does not have the power” under the Oregon constitution to require project labor agreements for state projects, according to the complaint.

“We believe that the governor exceeded her executive powers and created an anti-competitive environment, disregarding the advice of one of her own agencies regarding the added cost to Oregon taxpayers,” Mike Salsgiver, CEO of the Associated General Contractors’ Oregon-Columbia chapter, stated in a news release on Friday.

Kotek’s Dec. 18 order requires project labor agreements be used for state-funded projects when on-site labor costs amount to 15 percent of project costs, which would capture the vast majority of large-scale projects.

It comes as the state prepares to embark on major infrastructure undertakings, including the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and the Interstate Bridge replacement project.

Matthew Mues, a construction attorney with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP who is not involved in the lawsuit, pointed to studies showing PLAs raise costs.

“If the executive order requiring PLAs on public projects in Oregon is upheld and maintained, it will have an effect on open shop contractors, and it will increase the cost of construction of those public projects,” Mues said.

Kotek’s office and allies in organized labor have argued that PLAs will provide labor peace and certainty for big infrastructure projects.

The governor’s office did not respond to messages seeking comment.

“The last thing Oregonians can afford right now are the higher costs and cost overruns that come with union-only PLAs,” stated Laurie Kendall, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter.

“The issue is ripe for adjudication because the Governor has directed all state agencies to comply with the requirements of her executive order immediately,” the complaint states.

The contractors may have reason to hope for relief from the courts after a string of legal victories against similar orders.

In April 2024, AGC and three contractors won a preliminary injunction in Marion County Circuit Court against a community workforce agreement, or CWA, that was entered into between the Oregon Department of Transportation and 37 labor organizations. In that case, Judge Jennifer K. Gardiner said the CWA was “specifically designed to prioritize union labor.”

“To suggest that, because bidding is open to everybody, it necessarily creates an open and equal playing field, is simply false and disingenuous,” Gardiner wrote in her order.

Like the earlier lawsuit, this one opposing the PLA requirement was filed in Marion County, suggesting the contractors like their chances in that court.

“I anticipate based upon the ruling they received on CWAs, that was a motivating factor in filing it in Marion County,” Mues said.

At the federal level, PLAs ran aground in January, when Judge Ryan T. Holte of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims found in favor of contractors who challenged a 2022 executive order by then-President Joe Biden mandating PLAs be used for all federal government construction projects costing $35 million or more.

Holte relied in part on a General Services Administration market survey that found PLAs could be expected to increase costs and decrease bidders’ interest.

The plaintiffs in the new lawsuit include a wide swath of the Oregon construction industry: Associated General Contractors’ Oregon-Columbia chapter, Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter, the Utility Contractors Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington, the National Federation of Independent Business, HP Civil Inc., Hamilton Construction, K&E Excavating Inc., Interlaken Inc., Moore Excavation Inc., Iron Horse LLC, Hatch Western Co. Inc., Hydro-Temp Mechanical Inc., North Santiam Paving Co., Berrien Concrete, American Concrete Co., Kerr Contractors Oregon and Emery & Sons Construction Group.

The contractors are represented by Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC of Portland. Kotek is named as the defendant.

The post Group files suit to block PLA executive order (UPDATED) appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

The two main construction trade associations in Oregon don’t always agree on industry issues. But there’s at least one topic that has them on the same side of the table: their expectations about what to expect from lawmakers during the upcoming session of the Oregon Legislature.

While Democrats and Republicans in Salem are expected, to a large degree, to be in agreement on the issues that will need to be tackled once the session begins on Monday, the leaders of local chapters of Associated General Contractors and Associated Builders and Contractors say they expect there to be wide differences of opinion when it comes to the best fixes for problems such as funding education and transportation projects.

“There’s no consensus of what we need to be doing,” said Mike Salsgiver, executive director of AGC‘s Oregon-Columbia chapter. “The read on what the problems are is pretty clear. They’re just not agreed on what we need to do to fix them.”

The result, according to John Rakowitz, director of public and strategic affairs for AGC’s Oregon-Columbia chapter, is a session that’s going to keep the construction trade groups’ lobbyists on their toes.

“I see it as a session of great potential downsides and great potential risks,” he said.

While AGC and ABC are holding close their specific strategies for the upcoming session, both groups say their lists of priorities for the session reflect the needs and interests of their members.

At the top of AGC’s list is providing support for Gov. John Kitzhaber‘s education budget, specifically a portion that addresses career tech education. Under the proposed weighted formula, schools that establish career tech programs that meet certain criteria – including offering students at least three credits in the program and providing certificates recognized by industries such as construction – would receive money to help sustain the programs, Salsgiver said.

Kitzhaber’s education budget already has received pushback from the teacher’s union, according to Rakowitz.

“This (plan) is not without controversy,” he said. “This is a budget that says the state is now going to incentivize (schools) if you do certain things, like offer career tech ed.”

The ongoing search for funding to create a more stable pot of money for transportation-related new construction and maintenance also is something AGC is paying close attention to during the session, Salsgiver said.

Players in Salem already are butting heads over transportation funding. Earlier this week, Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, told reporters gathered for a media day at the Capitol that he doubted the session would result in a package to pay for new transportation projects and maintenance of existing infrastructure such as roads.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, has said she believes getting a transportation funding bill passed this session is a priority.

A funding package for transportation is less of a session concern for ABC, which has few members who work in that specific sector, said Laurie Kendall, executive director of the organization’s Pacific Northwest chapter.

Instead, the organization – which promotes an open, or merit-shop, approach to business – and its lobbyist Shawn Miller will keep a close watch on several bills related to apprenticeships.

ABC also is focusing its efforts in Salem on Senate Bill 137 and House Bill 2540, which address the expansion of prevailing wage on private projects that receive a portion of funding for a city, county or state government agency.

Kendall’s and Salsgiver’s organizations will realign when it comes to the topic of public contracting and a handful of issues that could affect businesses in general, including the possibility of legislators pushing a bill on statewide paid sick leave.

“We’re watching everything,” Kendall said. “We’re readying our members. … Their voices are the most important part. If (legislators) can hear (a message) from a contractor (or) a business owner, that has 10 times more impact.”

Even before the official first day of the session, Kendall’s group has been passing advice on to its members, getting them ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice to contact their district legislators – with emails, phone calls and letters – to make their voices heard. The trade group also is planning a Legislature day, when ABC members will have an opportunity to travel to Salem to meet with legislators.

The post Legislature has construction trade groups’ attention appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

The book is officially closed on 2014. The past year was defined by economic growth as well as rising backlogs and confidence within the construction industry. While I could feel it and sense it in my interactions with people, economic data backs it up as more than just intuition.

The most recent data from the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Construction Confidence Index (CCI) showed increases in all three categories – revenue, profit margins and hiring – in 2014. As ABC noted in October, “Each index now stands at a post-recession high implying that nonresidential construction’s recovery, already robust, is positioned to continue into the year ahead.”

People across the industry also are struggling with the availability – or rather the lack – of an adequate and skilled workforce – this re-emerged as a major issue this past year. As I’ve lamented in this space many times, the flow of workers into the construction industry is not keeping pace with demand. While ABC and many other groups across the construction industry make critical investments in efforts to attract new workers to the industry, this is becoming the most significant challenge to address in 2015 and beyond.

The 2014 Oregon Legislature took a major step in the right direction by pulling apprenticeship programs within the “middle 40” of the governor’s 40-40-20 goal for our education system. The initiative’s aspirational objectives are to see 40 percent of the adult population possess a bachelor’s degree or greater, 40 percent possess an associate’s degree or training certificate, and the remaining 20 percent achieve a college or career-ready diploma. While this could feel like a symbolic gesture to some, it repositions skilled trades as a priority and a career destination that educators and school counselors should embrace and help students work toward.

The governor signaled a good start to the new year last month when he proposed a budget that provides $65 million in funding for career and technical education (CTE) programs. This can go a long way toward preparing young people for careers in skilled trades like construction and bringing awareness of these opportunities back into our schools. This portion of the budget is a promising blueprint that the Legislature should act upon.

The legislative session is sure to bring other opportunities as well as challenges. Well-intentioned legislation to encourage utilization of apprentices on public projects would prove itself a major headache for contractors. In addition to wrongly assuming apprentices aren’t already a major component of the workforce on public projects, it applies a one-size-fits-all approach to the wrong end of the problem.

As illustrated above, efforts to improve workforce development must start with the input – identifying and attracting new people to the industry. Mandating utilization of apprentices when ratios of apprentices to journey-level workers are already impeding training opportunities within the industry show little understanding of the industry and a lack of common sense.

As we look ahead at 2015, how will the year be defined 360 days from now? I’m optimistic that we can start down the road to solving problems and allowing the industry to thrive. There are certainly challenges ahead, but the will to solve them appears to be there. We must hope that common sense prevails and that people recognize how we can best attract a new generation of workers to the industry.

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-726-5440 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: On the right track, with challenges ahead appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

At the beginning of the year I used this space to talk about goals – specifically, the importance of making a list outlining the things that you want to accomplish personally, professionally, and for the benefit of the industry and your community over the course of the year.

With the end of 2014 quickly approaching, I find myself going back to my lists and seeing what our industry has accomplished this year. From workforce to professional development within the industry this year, there is a lot to be proud of.

More contractors are taking advantage of educational opportunities within our industry as they continue to rebound from the Great Recession. People are taking advantage of opportunities to strengthen their management skills and empower the people around them. And, possibly most significantly, enrollment in apprenticeship programs is on the rise as more men and women find their way to our industry.

As 2015 nears, I encourage you to think about the future of our industry. Ponder what you can continue to do to introduce opportunities in our industry to a new generation. Consider sharing some of the information available through ConstructionWantsYou.com with a young person in your life.

Better yet, support a scholarship program that benefits high school students interested in the industry. The Associated Builders and Contractors and a variety of other groups are leveraging the support of individuals and businesses across our industry to recognize bright young people who will one day lead our industry.

But, as I explained last month, there is still a lot more work that needs to be done. Even with the bright spots over the course of this year, contractors are struggling to keep up with demand for skilled workers.

As we all look toward 2015 I challenge you to think about the future of our industry. I also encourage you to go back and look at your list for the year. Did you meet the goals you set in January? What can you still accomplish this year? What needs to be carried forward into 2015?

It is never too early to start planning for the new year. If you didn’t accomplish what you hoped to this year, think about why and start building your list for 2015.

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-726-5440 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: Plenty of growth, with room for more appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

The construction industry is hiring again and it sure feels good being able to say that.

While the industry is still far short of the 105,400 employees it had back in August 2007, nearly one in four lost jobs has been regained. Although this is definitely something to cheer about, there is a growing consternation in the industry about a new challenge that looms – people to fill all of the available jobs.

Yes, you read that correctly. In spite of adding back less than a quarter of the jobs the industry lost, nearly every contractor I talk to expresses serious concerns about the ability to fill vacant positions.

It might seem counterintuitive, but it is the new reality.

During the Great Recession thousands of workers left the construction industry. What we are seeing is that many aren’t planning to return to their old jobs. Through retirements, career changes or other unknown reasons, thousands of workers exited the industry to never return.

So, how do we solve it? For the Associated Builders and Contractors it means doubling down on workforce development and recruitment.

Participation in apprenticeship and training programs is no longer a sufficient means for firms to identify new employees. While such programs have the capacity to train a skilled and productive workforce, the challenge today is people willing and ready to strap on a tool belt. This all means that our industry must go out like never before and create a new pipeline of men and women to funnel into our industry so that these programs can remain relevant pieces of the puzzle.

That is why the ABC Workforce Development Committee recently launched a new initiative called Construction Wants You. It’s a campaign designed by industry professionals who are passionate about attracting strong, quality candidates into highly rewarding construction careers.  The ultimate goal is to connect young adults with opportunities and pathways that can launch their potential – and their professional and financial satisfaction.

That effort was on display recently as contractors and industry suppliers held a block party “tailgate” event prior to Gladstone High School’s homecoming game. Students and parents who attended were treated to a barbeque – courtesy of our friends at NW Natural – along with hands-on demonstrations and firsthand accounts of opportunities that exist within the construction trades. Over the course of the event you could see light bulbs go on for dozens of students.

At ConstructionWantsYou.com, young people can learn about the opportunities that exist within the construction industry. The website is meant for people wherever they are on their learning and career path – allowing them to start planning and training for the life that they want. Whether they are in high school contemplating what to do once they graduate, or they are finished with high school and haven’t found a satisfying professional niche, it illustrates the construction industry’s many entry points and training opportunities.

A recent report from the Oregon Employment Department illustrated a correlation between home values and construction employment. As values rise, so does the number of jobs within the industry.

Projections suggest that the industry will add about 16,000 jobs here in the state over the next eight years. That’s a lot of jobs to fill, and it illustrates the need for our industry to better reach the next generation of workers. Without a stronger pipeline of young people into our industry we will have a tough time meeting its workforce needs.

So, go check out ConstructionWantsYou.com and share the link with young people and their parents so that we can all spread the word about the opportunities that exist.

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-726-5440 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: Hey young workers, Construction Wants You! appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

As you have probably been able to guess from watching television, listening to the radio or even surfing the Internet, we have an election around the corner. Most Oregonians can expect to receive their ballot in the mail in the next two weeks. We will each be faced with deciding which candidates to vote for as well as where we stand on seven statewide ballot measures and a host of local issues.

My simple request of you today is that you vote.

I don’t care what your party affiliation might be, where you fall on the ideological spectrum, or how many times you have voted before. I simple ask that you vote.

If you aren’t currently registered to vote, please consider doing so. You have until October 14th, and you can even do it online by visiting www.OregonVotes.org.

Then, when it comes time to vote, take a few minutes to educate yourself. Do a little digging to learn about the people and the issues. Talk to people. Leverage the resources at your disposal to cast an informed vote.

Here are some simple ways to do this.

Use the network around you. Talk to your friends and family. Speak with your neighbors and co-workers. I am not saying vote the same way they do. Rather, learn why they are voting the way that they are and what they know about the candidates and issues.

Read your voters’ pamphlet. It’s thick and full of statements framing the issues the way that other people want you to look at them, but try to get beyond the fluff and focus on how the groups that you trust stand.

Look for points that resonate with you. Learn who supports (or opposes) each. Watch for the names you know and trust and see what those people have to say.

Most importantly, lean on the groups you are a part of. Many associations have taken the time to interview and/or endorse candidates for office. We comb over voting records and offer advice based on our view of things.

Find out who and what the groups that you are a member of are supporting this fall. If you haven’t seen a list of people they are endorsing, call them up and run the names on your ballot by them. Most groups will happily offer their feedback and appreciate you caring enough to ask their opinion.

I often hear people say that their votes don’t matter.

The fact of the matter is that our votes do matter. Four years ago, the balance of power in the Oregon Senate was decided by only 275 votes and in the Oregon House of Representatives by 623 votes.

Your vote matters and it can wield tremendous influence. Use it.

Make sure you are registered to vote this fall. Circle November 4th on your calendar. When you get your ballot, take a little time and do your homework. And most of all – vote!

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-598-0620 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: Yes, your vote really does matter appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

It is often said that technology makes the world go round. Each year televisions seem to get bigger (yet thinner), computers get smaller, and Internet speeds get faster – especially on our mobile devices. We anxiously await the latest and greatest, and watch as the early adopters line up outside retail spaces to be the first to get them.

Just like in the world around us, the construction industry is always hungry for new innovations. Access to new technology is increasing efficiency in our industry, improving work quality and helping contractors build the highest-performing buildings the world has ever seen.

In fact, we get something new and then we wonder how we ever lived without it. Then, two years later it’s a paperweight collecting dust in the corner as something newer, faster and cheaper replaces it.

“It wasn’t long ago that we wondered how we got by without fax machines,” explained an ABC member I visited with recently. “If our fax machine rang right now I would probably wander around the office for ten minutes trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.”

Contractors get bombarded everyday with new technological advances. The options are endless, but the budgets to pay for them rarely are. I really enjoy seeing how contractors are using new products, and I’m often reminded that the applications aren’t just good for the contractor – they also benefit the customer.

Smartphones, tablets, mobile apps and even social media are providing contractors new ways to find efficiency and collaborate across their field teams.

The ability to snap a photo – or video – from a smartphone or tablet and leverage people across an entire company to troubleshoot a problem is helping contractors solve tricky problems while sending fewer employees to a job site.

New building technologies are driving energy consumption down through innovative control systems that better regulate temperatures, enhance the use of natural light and save the customer enough money to justify the expense.

Even social media is proving itself beneficial to contractors looking to engage a variety of audiences about latest industry developments, share best practices and contribute to larger conversations in their community.

“Social media isn’t just talking about your company and posting a picture of your latest project,” explained a contractor recently. “It’s about engaging with the community around you, adding to the conversation, and building a network that would not have otherwise existed.”

Technology isn’t just about computers. It is also providing us all with amazing new building materials and construction methods. From multidimensional computer modeling to high-performance engineered wood products and energy-saving eco-roofs, a variety of new options are emerging to deliver better buildings to construction consumers.

Unless you have a side business printing money, you never want to adopt new technology or innovation just for the sake of doing so. You’ll wear out your workforce and you’ll probably waste a lot of money in the process. When weighing whether to adopt new technologies, consider:

• Is the latest technology cost-effective?

• How will something interact with other tools already in place?

• Will it improve efficiency for the team?

• How soon will it be obsolete?

It is exciting to see how new technologies and applications aren’t just the domain of teens posting via Instagram, but the way we use them can improve the bottom line and drive efficiencies in traditional trades.

Share with us how technology is changing the face of the industry by tweeting it to us via Twitter: @abcpnw

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-598-0620 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: The allure of new industry technologies appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Merit-shop contractors are passionate about training and developing a highly skilled workforce. I’ve used this space to talk about that quite a bit over the past several months.

The one common bond that I find across ABC‘s members – and among other merit-shop contactors – is the belief that workers should be in control of their careers. They don’t look at their workforce and see “labor” or treat people like a commodity. Instead, they see real people, with real families, with whom they want to build a long-term relationship.

One of the things that has impressed me most about this approach is the long-term commitment to their employees. Contractors become committed to training the members of their team, rewarding their good work, and retaining them for the long haul. They’ve embraced a business model that fosters an environment where hard work, innovation and commitment by both sides is rewarded.

That is not the way it has always been done in the construction industry. And for some it’s still not the way business is done.

For many decades, most contractors relied on union hiring halls for labor. When they had a big job they called up the union and asked them to send “labor” to the job site. When the project was done, the workers were sent back to the union. They signed their names in a book and waited for someone else to determine when they could work again. The system was impersonal, and meant that there was little to no relationship with the employee beyond the specific job.

I have often heard people suggest that many workers dispatched via union hiring halls expect to work only about 1,500 hours a year. That’s hardly job security when you consider that most people consider 2,000 hours a year as the norm for full-time employment.

This old way of doing things is becoming less common though – with more workers and contactors abandoning this approach each year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 14.1 percent of all construction workers were members of a union in 2013 – down from 17.5 percent in 2000.

The irony is that the training, skills, and work ethic among today’s merit-shop workers isn’t going unnoticed by unions either. As union membership has dwindled, unions are now trying to recruit workers away from merit-shop contractors. In the past month I’ve had several people share with me fliers that have been left on workers’ vehicles, encouraging them to leave the stability of their current careers. My sense is that there aren’t many takers.

Declining union membership is also causing unions to pursue bad public policy. Instead of recognizing the changing values of the worker, they seek to protect the worn-out system that they have always known. Proposals like the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, union-only project labor agreements, and expansion of prevailing wage laws seek to hold onto the past by manipulating the relationship between people and their employers. They simply fail to recognize the shift that is taking place.

Today, workers have come to recognize that an open door and a direct relationship is always better than short-term jobs and fewer hours of work that ultimately mean lower wages. It’s a big transition for the industry, but one that I think is good long term and will better empower people in the industry for what lies ahead.

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-598-0620 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: Opening doors to long-term relationships appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Hundreds of apprentices from communities across Oregon participated in graduation ceremonies this past spring. For many it was the end of a very long journey. They represent the last of a crop of workers who boldly entered the construction industry at its lowest point. They may also provide us insights and solutions to a major challenge that our industry is facing once again – a skilled workforce shortage.

We all know how stable a career choice the construction industry was in the summer and fall of 2010. As thousands of workers exited, some may wonder who in their right mind wanted to join us. Were these people crazy?

Many of the men and women who completed four-year programs weathered some of the toughest times that the industry has ever, and hopefully will ever, see. Thankfully, they took a chance on our industry. They managed to survive, persevere and succeed. And, they are probably stronger for it. They knew that things would get better and they recognized the opportunities that came with the challenges the industry was enduring at the time.

Still, not a day goes by – check that – not an hour goes by where I don’t hear about some form of challenge that a contractor is facing related to finding journey-level workers for a growing number of projects.

Apprenticeship has always been the means to this end. Workforce issues have been a challenge for the industry for much of the past 20 years. Even in the best of times, when apprenticeship programs were turning out large graduating classes, there was trouble keeping up with demand. Today we see the challenges that come with five years of small graduation classes and thousands of workers lost to other industries.

The problem is pretty clear, so what’s the solution? The challenge ahead of our industry is not the output. It is the input.

But it is more than just getting more apprentices into training programs. It’s more than just getting shop classes back into schools. Both are major priorities, but the solution is much bigger. I also need to note that government mandates regarding apprenticeship utilization on projects are also not the solution.

Just as the men and women graduating apprenticeship programs this year adapted and survived to complete their training, the industry needs to be thinking about how apprenticeship should adapt and survive as well. Shifts are taking place as new generations of workers approach their careers. How are we going to respond? An effect response to this reality is the solution.

Research shows that younger, “millennial” generation workers care less about pay and climbing the corporate ladder and are instead drawn to careers where they feel good about what they do. They want to know that they are making a difference in their community. They have also grown up in classroom environments different from past generations of workers to come through apprenticeship. And they have been programmed to believe that a four-year degree and tens of thousands of dollars of debt is their only ticket to success.

Those are big things to overcome. But it can be done.

We must modernize the way we deliver training to address the new and innovative ways younger workers are accustomed to learning. Can we integrate competency models into our training? Can on-demand, online training augment or even supplant some of the traditional classroom training models?

Equally important is helping future generations see the forest through the trees. We must reframe the opportunities that exist. We must expose new generations of workers to the opportunity to build something … to build their community, to build exciting new environments for people to live and work in, and to build the infrastructure that can fuel an innovative economy that solves problems within our society.

As we look to the future and work to solve our workforce challenges, we must confront reality. Today’s apprentices mostly found us. They took a chance, and our industry is reaping that reward. To succeed in the long term, we can’t rely on workers finding us.

Our industry must become relevant to a new generation. We must retool, modernize, and take a chance on them so that they too will take a chance on us.

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-598-0620 or at lkendall@abcpnw.org.

The post OP-ED: In search of more skilled workers appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.