Alabama’s construction industry, like much of the rest of the nation’s, is having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to fill their staffing needs, construction trade association representatives say. The shortage is leading to increased costs, extended schedules, and project delays impacting both businesses and consumers.

According to the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America’s national 2024 Workforce Survey, 94% of construction companies had openings for craft workers, such as cement masons and electricians, and 85% for salaried work, including superintendent and project manager positions.

That’s even though skilled construction jobs pay well. Average hourly earnings in the construction industry are $31.83, according to Go Build Alabama, a public-private partnership among the state of Alabama and industry trade groups.

One of the biggest obstacles, according to the national AGC survey analysis, is an educational system that often pushes high school students toward a college degree rather than promoting the option of developing hands-on skills through available career technical education programs within their schools’ systems.

“Unfortunately, too few high school students are made aware of the potential benefits of pursuing a career in construction,” says Byron McCain, who leads summer student boot camps to help generate interest in construction for the Alabama AGC.

On the bright side, several Alabama workforce development initiatives, including McCain’s, could help lessen Alabama’s construction workforce shortfall. Efforts to create additional training opportunities and lure talent to the field are essential, industry experts say. “Demand for more skilled workers will continue as our construction workforce ages out and must be replenished,” says Mark Mattox, vice president of Robins & Morton, and last year’s chairman of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Alabama.

Programs such as ABC’s Academy of Craft Training and AGC’s summer construction bootcamp are part of the industry’s drive to help interest students in potential construction employment and develop foundational skills. Local career technical education initiatives, including innovative, state-of-the-art programs such as Hoover School System’s Riverchase Career Connection Center (RC3) and Baldwin County’s Baldwin Preparatory Academy, are also praised and supported by trade associations.

This past summer the AGC camps drew 48 students from Chilton, St. Clair and Walker counties. They were held in each county’s career technical center and center instructors provided much of the training.

“The boot camp was comprised of eight four-hour classes focused on various trades with hands-on projects, so students used the tools of a trade,” McCain says. “On the final day of the camp, construction companies interviewed students for potential employment.”

Because of the program’s success, AGC is planning boot camps in the same three counties plus Shelby next summer. McCain hopes to host 80 participants plus add more construction employers to the camp job fair roster. “This program gave AGC the chance to build stronger relationships with the career technical programs and provide more contractor involvement with each program,” McCain says.

They take math as well as trade classes within their welding/pipefitting, building construction, HVAC, electrical or interior/exterior finishes tracks. “They also learn soft skills, including being on time to work and how to apply for a job,” McCord says. “A percentage of our graduating students go into the military or on to college, but so far we have been able to place everyone who wants a job right after graduation.”

I wish America took this model and implemented it across the nation. I think this is an amazing program. Most students are unaware of this type of career choice and the ones that do the construction work in their hometown is non-existent. But if this program can train students and then place them with a job would be amazing and hopefully fill the skilled labor gap with young people. Curious how much the state is funding for this program.