Young Americans’ reluctance to work in construction is fueling the industry’s labor problems.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence | Builder
The Colorado Home Building Academy in Denver relies on industry support to help recruit and retain students.
Five years ago, Jennifer Johnson, founder and CEO of the Construction Trade School in Dallas, started to talk to home building and remodeling organizations about a looming labor shortage in the residential construction trades. She called it a crisis, but industry leaders were focused elsewhere. Their No. 1 priority at the time was recovering from the recession, and many felt labor was a subcontractor problem, not theirs