Skilled labor is in high demand in the construction staffing market. The average age of skilled workers in America today is 55. As this baby boomer generation reaches retirement age and the entry rate of new skilled labor remains stagnant, finding reliable construction workers will continue to be a challenge for contractors.
Recent industry surveys indicate that skilled labor jobs, such as welders and electricians, are the most difficult jobs to fill in North America. Many business owners in manufacturing struggle to find equipment and machine operators. The electric utility industry is challenged to find linemen and other proven workers. The list goes on. But as everything else in life, “one man’s misery is another man’s opportunity.” This shortage in skilled labor talent translates into big opportunities for experienced construction workers.
Today’s skilled labor workforce is made of advanced professionals.
Skilled construction workers not only work with their hands to build, fix or install something, there is also a significant amount of brainpower required to do most jobs. These workers must be computer literate, as many machines and equipment use computer programs to operate. You must have good math and reading skills in order to calculate, measure and read blueprints accurately. On the more exciting side, innovative advances in technology have enabled skilled workers to use robotics and lasers with their trade, changing how these craftworkers did their job in the past. A good example is how roofing contractors measure roofing projects. No longer do they need to climb on top of the facility, there are apps that enable exact measurement using satellites!
Skilled workers and construction managers come together.
Construction managers are constantly looking for skilled labor professionals to add to their construction project team. Finding qualified, proven workers is clearly challenging. Many jobs remain vacant for weeks, resulting in project delays. The amount of time it takes to screen candidates and check to make sure training and certifications are up to date puts a tremendous strain on contractors.
Plus, all of the paperwork involved with payroll and benefits slows down the hiring process, taking away precious building time. But thanks to construction staffing companies like Tradesmen International, project managers have access to hundreds of qualified, pre-screened, skilled craftworkers, ready to start work the moment you call.
Craftworkers can take advantage of opportunities by joining a construction staffing agency. Joining Tradesmen’s skilled labor workforce offers many advantages, including:
- Immediate and consistent work
- Competitive wages with comprehensive benefits
- Vacation pay and 401K retirement matching
- Professional growth development
- Variety of construction projects with multiple contractors who focus on different work
There is no reason a shortage in skilled labor needs to delay construction projects. And there is no reason craftworkers need to go through long unemployment periods. Construction staffing services—firms like Tradesmen International, with tens of thousands of field-tested craftworkers in their database—are the solution to both of these problems.
Call Tradesmen International to address your challenges with finding skilled labor or finding high-paying skilled labor jobs.