A recent uptick of construction throughout Arizona has generated an increased demand for skilled laborers, which staffing companies are trying to meet despite the shortage of skilled labor.
“You can throw a rock in any direction and hit a construction site,” says 1-Call Staffing Owner Matt Beller. “There is just so much going on right now and it’s very hard to find skilled workers.”
And it’s not going to get easier.
The average age of a skilled laborer is 47, which means most skilled laborers are closer to retirement than they are to starting careers. As the number of construction continues to outpace the availability of skilled laborers, it’s taking a toll on developers because of staffing uncertainties. To alleviate some of those concerns, companies are experimenting with possible solutions to the growing crisis.
Troy Austin, owner of Austin Electric Services, turned his attention towards refugees and former inmates, since Millennials don’t appear as interested in the field.
Originally intended to serve Millennials, the company created a training program for refugees. It also held job fairs in conjunction with the Department of Corrections to hire rehabilitated inmates who had been arrested for minor infractions.
While no overnight solution for the skilled labor shortage is evident, there are signs of positive steps in the right direction to develop the next generation of skilled tradesmen. One hope is that the restoration of state funding for Joint Technical Education Districts that offer career and technical education programs will help turn the tide.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1525 this year that restored nearly the full $30 million for JTED funding, which was cut from the budget a year earlier. The goal is that funding will help provide more students with the proper education and training to find careers as skilled laborers with advancement opportunities.
“The big picture answer to why there is a shortage of laborers is that people are not being encouraged to work in trades job,” said Elwood Tradesmen recruiter Mike McCay. “People have mistakenly frowned on people from going to vocational and trades schools.”
For years, politicians, parents, school administrators and other authoritative figures have reinforced the message to younger generations about the importance of going to college. Thus, Millennials — America’s largest generation — are not looking for jobs in blue-collar skilled labor positions.
Labor Max Staffing owner Jonny McCreary says, “We have been staffing for over 20 years and we’ve never seen anything like this.”
It is unclear whether or not these programs and restored JTED funding will be the solutions to end the labor shortage but it is a good start.
