One of the trends we've been watching closely at Construction Citizen is the shift in attitudes when it comes to the "college for all" mentality that has dominated public policy in recent decades. Now, a plan in support of that shift is picking up steam at the Texas Legislature. 

Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken, who has been sounding the alarm about the need for more skilled workers, says the plan "is clearly going to pass the House. There's a recognition in the importance of multiple pathways to a high school diploma and the value of career and technical education." 

While Pauken believes the plan will pass the House of Representatives, there may be more of a fight in the Texas Senate. If it passes both houses and Governor Perry signs it, "We're going to be saving a lot of kids who would otherwise drop out of school," Pauken said. Read more » about Pauken: A Plan to Re-emphasize The Skilled Trades in High School Should Pass Texas House

Recovery is all around us. The construction industry is revving up again, driven by a hefty backlog of work and a fresh dose of infrastructure revitalization. And just as many had predicted, we are now facing an extraordinary lack of skilled craft professionals who are ready to build, repair and maintain. 

The cycle of recruitment for any industry hinges on informing young students about the possibilities for a particular career and the steps they need to take in order to accomplish their goals. Yet the construction industry is hindered by preconceived ideas and misconceptions about the education, training, and advancement opportunities associated with a successful career.

Some of these misconceptions start early on, perpetuated by well-meaning parents, teachers and guidance counselors: 

“Oh, you can take a carpentry class in high school, but you can't make a living as a carpenter.” Read more » about Construction Careers: More than a back-up plan

The skills gap we’ve covered extensively on Construction Citizen isn’t just a phenomenon in the United States.  It’s also a problem in Europe and the Middle East, where The Economist reports that a quarter of 15- to 24-year-olds don’t have a job.

In a piece called “The Great Mismatch”, The Economist Schumpeter Blog says:

“Altogether 75 million of the world’s young people are unemployed and twice that number are underemployed.  This not only represents a huge loss of productive capacity as people in the prime of life are turned into dependents.  It is also a potential source of social disruption and a daily source of individual angst.   Read more » about The Skills Gap Worldwide

The shortage of construction workers we've been warning about on Construction Citizen is beginning to happen across the nation and the national media is starting to take notice.

USA Today reports: “The crunch is affecting a handful of states, including Texas, Arizona, Iowa and Florida.  But it's expected to worsen and spread across the USA over the next few years, building officials say.  The shortages are already prompting builders to raid each other's job sites for workers.”

The newspaper story says some are shocked by this, but regular readers of our blog won't be.

Construction Citizen blogger Stan Marek recently asked the question “Where have all the young men gone?” and Greater Houston Builders Association CEO Toy Wood told me in an exclusive interview that home builders are being forced to delay some projects in and around the Houston area because of a lack of skilled workers.

The USA Today story goes on to say:

“Twenty-nine percent of home builders surveyed by the National Association of Home Builders in June reported some shortage of framing workers and 6% said there was a serious deficit – only slightly less than in 2006 at the height of the home construction frenzy.   Read more » about Shortage of Construction Workers to Spread Across America