Fighting the Loss of the Construction Workforce

By Charlene Anthony

Businesses can benefit from developing and supporting programs that will bring young people into the design and construction industry. Some best practices are outlined here.

The current construction industry has been charged with the challenge of jumpstarting the flow of a new construction workforce pipeline one that grooms new talent, from high school to beyond college graduation. The research and initiatives developed by AGC Houston provide best practice initiatives that can be used by firms and associations throughout the A/E/C community to help us resolve the workforce problems that plague our industry today.

At AGC Houston, we developed a four-part program to attract and retain future talent. Furr High School Academy for Construction, Art, Science and Technology, or CAST, opened in January, 2006. CAST is part of AGC Houston’s Construction Futures campaign, which attracts the brightest talent to the industries of construction, engineering, and architecture. Although Houston is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, baby boomers are retiring, and the percentage of the workforce in apprenticeship programs is at a historical low. Adding to the industry’s concern are fears of drastic immigration reform that would immediately ban all workers with “no match” social security numbers and stop many Houston construction projects in their tracks.

CAST is an example of what could be done in other parts of Texas and throughout the country. The school connects high school students with jobs, apprenticeships, community colleges, or four-year university programs in the construction industry.

Charlene Anthony is executive director of Construction Futures for the Associated General Contractors of America, Houston Chapter. She can be reached via charlene.a@agchouston.org.

Sensory Perception The CAST career academy provides an integrated program that links students’ day-to-day education with real-work experiences. CAST programs offer senior internships with contractors, masons, electricians and architects; OSHA certification; coursework in AutoCAD; and field trips to major construction sites such as the J. E. Dunn South Central Mosaic project and the Linbeck Group  Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Scholarships form the next link in the pipeline, aiding high school and college students with educational funding. For former students like Charles Westmoreland, a recent Texas A&M graduate, an AGC scholarship made all the difference. A non-traditional student, Westmoreland spent 10 years in the United States Navy before enrolling in the construction science program at A&M. Married and working full-time at a home-improvement store, scholarship assistance helped make his education dream feasible.

Intentional Peer Pressure Student chapters keep students abreast of news and events in the Texas construction industry and help them find jobs upon graduation. Westmoreland was an enthusiastic officer in the A&M AGC Student Chapter. He organized AGC events including student competitions, guest speakers, service projects, and an annual golf tournament. AGC Student Chapters, are active at Texas A&M, Texas Southern University, University of Houston, and Prairie View A&M.

Engaging Young Constructors The AGC Futures Construction pipeline comes full circle through the Young Constructors Forum. When entering the workforce, budding professionals can join YCF, which arms aspiring managers with the training and networking they need to climb the executive ladder.

The Young Constructors Forum supports young construction professionals on the last leg of their journey towards construction upper management. Monthly educational activities range from conferences on immigration reform to seminars on building information modeling, or BIM. The YCF also sponsors happy hours with the Young Architects Forum and hosts guest speakers on topics that members request.

Westmoreland embodies the passion for construction that the AGC and AGC student chapters help to perpetuate. “I wanted to be in construction since my first Lego set,” Westmoreland says.

As an industry, we have a right and an obligation to reach out to the next generation. We must use our minds, our money and our influence to help students see the value in designing and building the world of tomorrow. By becoming proactive today, we can circumvent the pressures that tomorrow may bring if we do not maintain a strong and robust workforce in the architecture, engineering, and construction disciplines.