Three trade associations have formed a strategic partnership to assist in recruiting a skilled workforce in the construction and building trades.
The three-year partnership, coined Build Your Future Indiana, comes in an effort to create awareness and resources that attract young workers to commercial, residential and road building industries.
“A shortage of skilled labor is one of the most prominent challenges facing our industry today,” Indiana Builders Association (IBA) chief executive officer Rick Wajda says in a statement.
Currently, Indiana has reported an average of more than 3,000 annual job openings in construction and similar fields. The state projects that by 2024 there will be over 30,300 construction trade jobs to be filled.
Build Your Future Indiana works to fight the skilled labor shortage by curating career information from professionals industry-wide to highlight key aspects and opportunities for each trade career path. This information has been developed into an interactive career match quiz online and comprehensive resources that are currently being delivered face to face by invested industry professionals at career fairs and schools.
“This collaborative effort aims to eliminate misconceptions about careers in this industry and emphasize that there are many paths that the next generation of potential workers can maximize in order to find success,” says Steve Lains, chief executive officer of the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis (BAGI).
“It’s time that students become informed of all the career paths available to them, not just traditional four-year degree plans,” says Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation president Chris Price.
Through the program, trade professionals will work to spread awareness about the vast amount of employment opportunities available in construction and other trades. Local employers, associations and schools are encouraged to conduct job fairs, panel discussions and local community events to inform students of the benefits of choosing a career path in skilled trade industries.
The construction industry is one of the nation’s largest industries, employing more than 5 million individuals in the United States. Parents, teachers, counselors and students are encouraged to take a close look at the rewarding opportunities available in construction. The programs created through this unique partnership will help everyone understand that there are various ways to enter the industry, ranging from vocational/on-the-job training to four-year degrees, that all lead to satisfying careers and financial success.
