A Sustainable Workforce Starts With You

Reshaping the Construction Industry

With the unemployment rate in the construction industry still lingering at about 24% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and with many former construction workers...
Jim Kollaer's picture
June 09, 2010
You might not know it but there is a shortage of skilled craftspeople in the industry.  Today, with the 24% unemployment across the industry, probably not; however, look at these figures.  In its updated projections, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that there will be 1,300,000 new construction jobs created in the construction industry between today and 2018.  That represents a 19% growth rate and is the largest increase in the Goods producing sector in this country.  That represents almost 163,000 new construction jobs a year for the next 8 years.With the economy in recession and with what is beginning to look like a “long tail” on this recession, that demand will probably not be evident until late 2011 or early 2012 and then the rate will increase at a greater rate.  In order to meet that demand, we need to be doing something about it today.  
Jim Kollaer's picture
June 05, 2010
Building Information Modeling or BIM is being used by architects, engineers and contractors around the US and even around the world to create new and exciting buildings.  BIM is a way to virtually construct a proposed building in order to avoid conflicts among the various spatial, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. The avoidance of systems conflicts and the delays that would follow on site during construction are key to the successful completion of a project for the owners and users.
Jim Kollaer's picture
June 04, 2010
“The Job is complete and you did a great job, but because of the economy and no new projects, we don’t have another assignment for you right now so you are on your own. We’re...
Jim Kollaer's picture
May 26, 2010
No question, the economy and the construction industry are in “reboot” mode after someone hit the “reset” button. Unemployment in the industry, according to the Bureau of Labor...
Jim Kollaer's picture
May 24, 2010
Certification has long been a subject of discussion in the construction industry. Discussions usually revolve around questions of “Who does the certifications? Whose courses do we...
Jim Kollaer's picture
May 10, 2010
According to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Standards) the March job numbers showed a positive growth of 162,000 jobs.  There is “joy in Mudville,” to coin an old baseball term, if those numbers hold true as it just might be the first positive indicator of the economy since we dropped from the peak of the last cycle in December of 2007. There are those who believe that the recent numbers, while positive, are not conclusive. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Business Cycle Dating Committee (no, it is not an online dating service) met recently to determine whether the economy was at its lowest point and they concluded that while some of the indicators have turned positive, not enough have shown positive results to determine whether or when the bottom of the trough has occurred.  There is no question in the minds of most
Jim Kollaer's picture
April 27, 2010
April 13 was the first day that the new Obama styled contracting guidelines requiring that all Federal projects with budgets of over $25 million have negotiated Project Labor...
Jim Kollaer's picture
April 21, 2010
Most of us in the construction industry will agree that the industry has an image problem, that being “the industry is not the most attractive alternative for job seekers when...
Jim Kollaer's picture
April 15, 2010
According to the latest statistics listed on the  USCIS  website E Verify is currently used by over 192,000 employers on more than 705,000 jobsites across the US.   In the last 5 months they have received over 6 million requests, that is 1.2 million per month. According to a study recently completed by Westat Inc. and quoted in the April 2010 issue of HR Magazine, 94% of the workers submitted were
Jim Kollaer's picture
April 15, 2010