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In a recent post, I shared some video coverage from the Construction Careers Expo, where Houston-area high-school students heard from contractors and owners who volunteered their time and equipment that day to expose the students to several craft professions. The annual event was sponsored by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston (ABC) and the Construction and Maintenance Education Foundation (CMEF).Richard Bolt is a Pipefitting Instructor, Rigging Instructor, and Performance Evaluator at (CMEF). He is certified to train in several other areas as well. Before he came to CMEF, he worked as a journeyman pipefitter with over 20 years of experience in the field. He told me that CMEF offers evaluations of trainees in pipefitting. At the Careers Expo that day the students were allowed to work on one of the mockups from the CMEF lab which is used to evaluate prospective journeyman pipefitters. Bolt said that what the students were experiencing that day was “a snapshot of what an industrial pipefitter does on the job.”
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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The following article originally appeared in the January newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC for the purpose of providing the latest leading indicators and industry issues to those clients. Reprinted with permission.21,900. That is the amount of expected job growth in Houston in 2016, unveiled by Patrick Jankowski, Senior Vice President of Research at the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), on December 7th at their annual economic outlook event. When compared to the past five years, 2016’s forecast is a significant slowdown in job creation. Jankowski compared it to our own freeways, noting that after speeding outbound on I-10 at 90 mph towards San Antonio, when you hit a construction zone and are forced to slow down to 20 mph, it can feel like you’re standing still, despite continually moving forward. That construction zone pace is Houston’s future next year. Slow, but moving forward.For the construction industry, with the exception of the industrial market which continues to thrive, this slowdown may be just what the doctor ordered. The frenetic pace of 2014 left many understaffed and turning away work. Good work. Work that, any other year, they would be ecstatic to have.
January 11, 2016
The event will target high school and college students and military veterans to promote job opportunities in crane, rigging, and specialized transport industries.
January 08, 2016
Click on image to view more information.Contractors show optimism about most segments in AGC poll; November spending dipsEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Contractors are optimistic, on balance, about the outlook for nonresidential and multifamily construction, based on the 1,580 responses to a survey that AGC released Wednesday. About 44% expect the available dollar volume of projects they compete for in 2016 to be higher than in 2015, while 9% expect the volume to be lower, for a net positive reading of 34%. Among 13 market segments, the net was highest for retail, warehouse and lodging construction, 21%; followed by hospital and private office, 19% each; multifamily, 14%; higher education, 13%; K-12 school and public building, 12% each. There was less optimism about water/sewer, 8%; manufacturing, 7%; highway, 6%; other transportation, 3%; and power, 1%. Respondents registered a 1% net negative reading regarding the outlook for federal construction. However, the survey was completed before the recent enactment of federal tax bills with favorable terms for direct federal projects, highway and transit funds, and tax-subsidized wind and solar power construction.
January 07, 2016
The deadly tornadoes that recently ravaged Dallas/Fort Worth not only took the lives of Texans and caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage, they also provided evidence that cutting corners in commercial construction can easily mean the difference between buildings that hold up in severe weather versus those that collapse “like a house of cards" putting the lives of those inside them at great risk.The Dallas Morning News talked with an engineer who said some of the construction at a local school district in Dallas County was “horrific” from the standpoint of design and building execution:
January 06, 2016
McKinsey Analytics, part of the McKinsey Global Institute, has released a study and accompanying charts about the potential for automation in a broad array of jobs in the US. Included in the study are construction jobs ranging from construction laborers to elevator engineers and technicians. The chart is developed in a way that you are able to switch on or off the individual categories of jobs that you are interested in. It might even give you insights into some of the services and subs that you use.Additionally, there are charts illustrating gender equality in various countries and their relation to gender equality and attitudes in the workforce. The third chart illustrates ways that gender equality can drive economic growth around the world.
January 05, 2016
It wasn’t an easy choice to pursue a career in industrial construction. For some reason or another I just didn’t think I was cut out to be in the industry. Something about my fear of heights kept me away from the scene. Eventually, after being so unhappy for so long in retail, my fiancé told me one day, “Why don’t you go into the construction industry? You are capable of so much more.” Those words stuck in my head and marinated for about two years until I finally decided to do something about it. So, which construction craft was I going to go for? I knew what I didn’t want to do and that was to continue in retail.
January 04, 2016
The event gave 400 high-school students a chance to hear from 43 contractors and owners who volunteered their time and equipment that day, and to get a taste of various professions through hands-on activities.
December 31, 2015
First Lady Michelle Obama appears in a new public service announcement aimed at promoting higher education to the youth of America. In the video, Mrs. Obama and Saturday Night Live's Jay Pharoah sing:"If you wanna fly jets, you should go to college. Reach high and cash checks, fill your head with knowledge.If you wanna watch paint don't go to college.But, for everything else you should go to college."
December 30, 2015
