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The construction industry is facing a major labor shortage, but programs and people across the country are working locally to solve the problem. This series highlights efforts that help recruit the next generation of construction professionals. Read previous posts here.
Do you know of any groups that help attract workers to the construction industry? Let us know.
The more than 4,000 children and their parents who poured into one of Washington, DC’s many museums on October 19 weren’t there to learn about natural or national history, but to hammer in keys, explore the booths of commercial recruiting and visiting a truck zoo. .
The Big Build, organized by the National Building Museum, was designed to give children aged 8 and under a fun and educational experience around the building trades.
The annual event has been held in one form or another for about 20 years, said Sheridan Small, the museum’s senior manager of youth and community programs. The mission has remained the same: to introduce the nation’s youth to careers in construction and engineering.
“I think people often underestimate young children and their ability to do difficult things like swing a hammer or operate VR equipment, but they get into it and for most of them, it’s their first introduction to those trades,” Small said.
Attendees had the opportunity to do just that, as day partners including Associated General Contractors of America, HITT Contracting, DPR Construction, Hensel Phelps and the Modular Building Institute partnered with the museum to set up booths with tactile experiences.
Courtesy of Elman Studio
“The Big Build is always a hit in my eyes because both kids and parents get significant exposure to careers in the construction industry,” said Heather Wallace, director of communications for Momentum Innovation Group, a consulting group. based in Jersey City, New Jersey. The company offers solutions such as job-matching tools for off-site construction and digital twin technology.
“[The kids] you get to build, touch things and use tools and get some hands-on experience. I love seeing a child or adult’s eyes light up when they learn something new and exciting about the industry,” said Wallace.
For example, DPR Construction’s booth had kids build structures out of pallet jacks and binder clips, said Nicole Julien, field office coordinator for the Redwood contractor’s D.C. and Baltimore office. City, California.
looking ahead
Event organizers said they see it as a way to help alleviate a decades-long construction labor shortage. They are concerned about the average age of the construction workforce, as large swathes of experienced personnel are expected to retire in the near future, Wallace noted.
“Early exposure to careers in the construction industry [is] important because it gets kids thinking, asking questions and sometimes solving problems and innovating for our industry,” he said. “Elementary and middle school age groups are often dismissed from funding and programs because the idea of not seeing ROI for five or 10 years is hard for many companies to swallow. But this is the age group that is important to target now!
Small said the museum has considered finding a partner to do longitudinal research to show whether or not attendees start careers in construction. But that’s not the only impact, he said.
“We want to inspire these kids to imagine many different futures for themselves,” Small said. That could mean pursuing a career in the construction industry, developing those skills to use every day, contributing to the community through volunteer work or simply considering alternative life paths, he said.
Brian Turmail, AGC’s vice president of public affairs and workforce, echoed this point.
“The most important thing was that when we talk about careers in construction, that can mean a whole range of things, from traditional trades like plumbing and carpentry to working with stained glass, driving trucks or operating drones . The possibilities are almost limitless,” he said.
Also, it’s not just an educational event for kids.
“All these children are accompanied by adults, right? So even if the hands-on activities aren’t aimed at their parents, the parents are absorbing the information along with the kids, and they’re seeing all these crafts and realizing the possibilities that are available,” said Small .
When it came time to build structures, Julien said, “We often find that the parents are having as much fun as the kids.”
Contributions and improvements
Some parts of the Big Build days will stick with Small, like the image of kids throwing back their heads and exclaiming “that’s great!” when they admire the heavy construction equipment.
But the impact is also useful for trading partners, he said. The day offers companies, sponsors and even competitors the opportunity to network, exchange ideas and contemplate how to recruit the next generation of skilled workers.
Permission granted by Elman Studio
“The biggest takeaway remains the importance of early exposure to different areas of the construction industry and the need to fund more training programs and events across the country,” Wallace said. “It can’t just be a select few people or companies working to solve labor challenges.”
Julien said the day “sparked the imagination” of the young visitors and compared the children’s attitude to the contractors’ attitude to work – it can be contagious.
“For me there is a pride in working for a builder and I think that many people should come to their jobs with more charm with what we do. I think that sometimes we sink into the day to day, but we get to look at resultding and to say ‘I worked on this’ is a great legacy,” he said.
