Trade workers in the construction industry are in high demand and short supply, especially among the young workforce. It’s generally easy to find college graduates to fill construction management positions, but for some reason young people attach a stigma to trade work; more students are choosing the university path rather than learning trades. They think construction is too hard and the payoff too little. They’d rather go into management because they think the pay is more worthwhile, and for less work.
We need people to always pursue construction careers because construction and construction workers will always be an inherent societal necessity.
How to Solve the Problem
By bringing construction education into the classroom at an early age it will give students a broader perspective. It will provide them with an understanding of the problem solving and creativity they’re capable of on their own, by showing them the practical application through a real industry. Blue-collar success is reliant on a worker’s resourcefulness, which is something they should be learning early on.
Students need to be exposed to trades like construction at a young age in order to understand what kinds of careers are available to them and to teach them about real-world reasoning and practical logic. Eliminating the stigma associated with construction work, by exposure and realistic exploration, will solve the shortage of talented young workers we’re experiencing today.
