WORKER SHORTAGE SOLUTIONS

Part 1: if you want more young people in construction, share this with as many as you know.

The Army Corps of Engineers starts recruiting early

While this Substack blog is generally aimed at people already in the construction business, I think some advice for young people interested in the trades is long overdue. And I mean something a lot more real and in-depth that the typical one-shot, career- day, chamber-of-commerce type pitch.

The biggest impediment to recruiting is that people outside the industry have no clue what it’s all about—and most of their impressions are negative, reinforced by innumerable Hollywood stereotypes of construction workers as grizzled brutes. Parents generally see construction as a low wage career. Teachers and guidance counselors rarely know anything about construction.

So if you are a construction contractor having trouble finding new workers, I hope you’ll email this and the rest of the articles in this series to any young people you think might be interested.

Unlimited opportunity

My opening gambit to any young person is this:

Here is a story I wrote a decade ago about a young man who took his high school savings, invested in a single truck and was running his own multi-million-dollar company before his 30^th birthday. This could be you.

And I’ve interviewed plenty more like him. The American dream is alive and well in the construction space. You just have to have the gumption to go out there and get it. As Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

From newbie to owner

This series will start with beginners and then detail the steps they need to climb the career ladder in construction, including, eventually, running a company. If you are a construction company owner, future installments may be relevant to the people who work for you today to help them become more valuable employees.

Look for future installments every few weeks. For now, let’s here’s some advice on how a person still in high school who might be interested in construction can figure out whether its right for them and prepare themselves to find a good job.

The plan

1.     Physically fitness. You don’t have to be an athlete to work in construction, but if you’ve been a couch potato all your life you may need to get in shape. The days of backbreaking work with a pick and shovel are mostly over, but you should be able to work on your feet, lift and carry heavy loads, climb ladders repeatedly and do so all day. Depending on the type of construction you may be out in the cold or heat all day as well.

2.     Be teachable. Don’t worry about your lack of experience. The overwhelming majority of construction company owners I’ve interviewed say they would rather hire a newbie with no experience who is willing to learn than someone who thinks he knows it all and is hard to teach. But trade school can help. Getting a CDL (commercial driver’s license) is even better if you can swing it. Some contractors will even help you pay for CDL classes. Just remember, neither is mandatory.

3.     Learn a little. If you don’t have any experience, you can probably help your case by becoming familiar with the type of work you want to do. There are dozens of YouTube channels dedicated to different types of construction. Some are better than others, but time spent getting familiar with the work online is better than nothing. This website is an excellent resource if you want to become an equipment operator.

4.     Consider the unions. Construction unions take people right out of high school and give them excellent training and apprenticeships. If you’re in an area where union workers are prevalent you owe it to yourself to check them out.

5.     Volunteer.  Habitat for Humanity builds thousands of homes a year using mostly volunteer workers. No experience required and every project will have a veteran or two to show the volunteers how to do things. If you can spare the time, try and get in on as many of the stages of the build as possible. Even if you are not interested in homebuilding, the mindset of a good construction worker is the same whether you’re building skyscrapers or decks and gazebos. It’s all about executing plans and solving problems.

6.     Be selective. Because contractors are so desperate for people, you’re likely to get offered a job the first place you apply. But you shouldn’t necessarily accept the first offer. Unfortunately there are too many fly-by-night contractors out there. Look for a company that offers benefits, medical at a minimum. Paid vacation, 401K, and that sort of stuff indicates a reliable company. Pre-employment drug screening is also a good sign and means you won’t be working alongside sketchy people.

7.     Be even more selective about safety.  If you get an interview, always ask about their safety program and safety training. Avoid companies with weak answers. What you want to hear is that they have daily or weekly jobsite safety briefings (aka tailgate talks), occasional classroom safety sessions and a designated company-wide safety manager. Their safety manual should be a thick binder. Bonus points if the company pays for new employees to get their OSHA 10-hour safety card and later an OSHA 30-hour safety card. Ask about it. Shows initiative.

8.     Temperament. Construction is no place for snowflakes. If you can’t take criticism or a little ribbing, construction probably isn’t for you. Abusive, racist or sexist language shouldn’t be tolerated, but a little trash talk now and then helps everybody blow off steam.

In the next installment we’ll talk about what you do to prepare for your first day on the job and survive those all-important first two weeks.

If your parents think you’re crazy, just show them the article in the link above. You could also have them read “The Millionaire Next Door,” which documents just how many high net-worth people made their bones in businesses like construction.

And remember this too: with a little jobsite time under your belt, you can always go back to college and up your skill set with a degree in construction management, business or engineering and come out a six-figure or near-six-figure earner the day you get your diploma.

# # #