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Trade association chapters hone youth outreach strategies to address workforce shortage

By Scott Huish
The construction industry’s workforce shortage already was a critical concern even before the pandemic, when the industry lost more than 1 million jobs and was set back from the previous eight years of growth. Though the industry quickly bounced back and a record-breaking 11.8 million people were employed in construction in April 2022, more than a half million new workers are needed this year, according to Associated Builders and Contractors.

ABC estimates the industry will need to bring in nearly 454,000 new workers on top of normal hiring to meet industry demand in 2025, and that is presuming that construction spending growth slows significantly next year. The most recent workforce survey conducted by Associated General Contractors of America shows that 88 percent of construction firms are having a hard time finding workers to hire.

AGC works with students and teachers
to introduce the trades.
(Photos courtesy of
AGC Oregon-Columbia chapter)

Both industry associations confirm that the shortage is caused by a retiring workforce, rising labor demand and a lack of skilled workers. AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson says the “biggest takeaway from this year’s workforce survey is how much the nation is failing to prepare future workers for high-paying careers in fields like construction. It is time to rethink how the nation educates and prepares workers.”

To that end, the AGC Oregon-Columbia chapter has several strategies underway to attract young people and job seekers to the industry. In addition to partnering with members to attend job fairs, career days and other events hosted by schools and businesses, the chapter convenes a statewide workforce coalition that met virtually during the pandemic and is now being restructured to fit into a post-pandemic society.

Amber Klingner, the chapter’s workforce and professional development manager, and Asha Aiello, member development and engagement director, are excited about recent upgrades to Build-Oregon.com, a hub for resources and information about construction trades that launched in 2021.

“One feature we’re really proud of is the training map. We know that location of training programs can be important to a lot of people, so we set off on a mission to show where these trainings actually take place,” Klingner said.

“It may be that somebody needs to stay close to home because they care for their parents, or it could be the opposite and somebody who wants to get as far away from their hometown as possible. It’s the only one of its kind that exists and we think that’s a pretty cool feature for job seekers and young people,” she said.

Aiello noted that the update was done with Millennials and Gen Z in mind, which means that the site is designed as mobile-first.

The AGC Oregon-Columbia chapter updated its small grant program to focus on project-based learning, and each grant requires a site visit that allows the organization to be a thought partner on how to make improvements and be more successful.

“We’ve really leaned into where we see a return on investment in terms of making an impact, and we’re thinking holistically around those instead of just providing financial support,” Klingner said, adding the program has expanded geographically as well.

The chapter’s professional development for teachers, known as the educator externship, has expanded geographically and now has more than 100 participants in nine different regions of the state. Launched in 2016, the program provides an immersive experience for educators to see jobsites and learn about careers across the construction spectrum.

“It’s not just Career Technical Education (CTE) teachers. We want counselors, math teachers, art teachers and all who are interested. Future construction people don’t just come from CTE classes,” Aiello said.

Klingner added that there also is an emphasis on how to transfer experience gained during high school to the jobsite so there is more industry alignment with classes and students are building more than birdhouses in shop classes.

Mark Pavlov of Direct Mechanical won the sheet metal competition at the Craft Championships hosted by Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter last October. He went on to win bronze in the ABC National competition in the Sheet Metal category. This year’s local ABC Craft Championships will be held Oct. 11 at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas. (91��Ƶ file photo)

“It can be really intimidating if you’re a newer construction teacher, and this is a way that we can bring project-based learning back into the classroom,” she said. “The thinking is, ‘Let’s do this with the teachers and show them how it’s done so they can show the students.’”

Alison Davis, executive director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon, said engineers also are in high demand and chapters across the country look forward to workforce development programs currently being developed by the national organization.

ACEC National recently co-founded an Engineering Workforce Consortium with the goals of attracting new talent, retaining it and growing young people as professionals. Its Workforce Development Committee is creating a toolkit for state chapters to achieve those goals as well as address public policy issues that impact hiring and recruitment.

Davis said the local chapter will continue to partner with its member firms, many of which have successful internship programs, to promote the industry to young people.

The ABC Pacific Northwest chapter’s Workforce Committee continues its campaign to provide students, parents and educators with information and resources about career opportunities within the industry. Each year, the chapter hosts hundreds of high school students to attend the Craft Championships, where they can witness live skills competitions in various trades. They also can talk with trades professionals about what a career in the field could be like.

In addition, ABC is a sponsor of numerous high schools across the state that teach the NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) curriculum, which is an introduction for high school students to construction careers. Most schools focus on the core curriculum – safety, hand tools and carpentry. At the end of the course, students take an exam to earn NCCER credentials. Nationally recognized, these credentials give graduates a leg up in the job market and can be used to continue post-high school education.