Tag: construction workforce: Page 12

Business

5 tips for hiring military veterans at your construction company

The economy is growing and construction contractors are scrambling for new employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction employment is expected to grow by 1.84 million jobs or 33 percent by 2020. At the same time there are thousands of technically proficient people exiting the military every year and their numbers are expected […]

May 1, 2014

Business

Another worker shortage compounded by the energy boom could delay construction of $1.3 billion Dallas hospital

Construction officials with a Dallas area hospital say their project is losing workers and bidders to stiff competition from the oil and gas industry as well as higher paying construction jobs elsewhere in the state. “Houston and West Texas are taking labor away from many of our projects,” Lou Saksen, senior vice president over the $1.3 […]

April 24, 2014

Business

Obama, Biden announce $600 million initiative to close skills gap through job training and apprenticeships

Today, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced a $600 million initiative that seeks to equip more workers with the skills needed to fill thousands of open but specialized jobs. The initiative will be funded by existing Labor Department funds. The first part of the initiative is $500 million in competitive grants intended […]

April 16, 2014

Business

Mailbag: Readers add criticisms, more advice for contractors and newbies looking for success in the construction business

We received quite a response from a couple of recent editorials, “The newbie’s guide to surviving your first week in construction,” and “The six habits of highly successful construction company owners.” So we thought we should share some of the additional ideas and suggestions we received via email from our readers—both the praise and the […]

April 8, 2014

Business

Rise in unemployment snapped as construction industry adds 19,000 jobs in March

The U.S. construction industry added 19,000 jobs in March, the third straight month of gains and a welcome sign as demand continues to grow. March’s gains bring the total number of Americans employed by the industry to 5.964 million, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure is 2.5 percent higher […]

April 4, 2014

Business

Dearth of women in construction deprives industry of good workers, women of good jobs

Recently, Barbara A. Res penned an insightful column for the Baltimore Sun examining why there are so few women in the construction industry and detailed why and how this should be changed. As contractors across the U.S. continue battling a skilled worker shortage that is impacting completion dates and ability to meet rising demand, it’s a […]

March 24, 2014

Business

Mike Rowe opens up about opera, skilled trades and Dirty Jobs (EXCLUSIVE)

All of the new machines are obviously the star of a show like ConExpo. But one of the highlights for the Equipment World team last week at the show was getting to sit down with TV host and newly-minted author Mike Rowe for a conversation on the importance of skilled trades and vocational education. Just […]

March 11, 2014

Business

Construction adds 15,000 jobs in February, unemployment rises for third straight month

The U.S. construction industry added 15,000 jobs in February, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The gain came as a surprise as many economists expected the number to be down due to the harsh winter weather. February’s gains bring the number of Americans employed in construction to 5.941 million—2.6 percent higher […]

March 6, 2014

Business

FIU professor says Florida’s worker shortage is temporary due to likelihood of wage increases

Like their peers across the U.S., contractors in Florida are facing a shortage of skilled workers, as a report from Florida Watchdog details. In Florida, housing inventories are drying up which means that new ones will need to be built as demand rises. Problem is, as we’ve seen in many other places, many of the skilled veterans […]

February 25, 2014

Business

Six-week Massachusetts construction crash course prepares low income, minority workers for the industry

As the U.S. construction industry continues to explore ways to battle the current skilled worker shortage, a training program in Massachusetts is introducing the industry to many folks who had never previously considered it. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, the city of Holyoke is seeing an influx of construction projects as of late including a […]

February 24, 2014

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Maryland shadow program works to draw high school students to construction training

Through the end of this month a vocational school in Fredrick, Maryland is offering students the opportunity to get a taste of the industry by shadowing its construction training program. The Fredrick County Career and Technology Center (CTC) is the home of several construction technology programs. Each year, the CTC gives its construction students hands-on […]

February 12, 2014

Business

Construction companies join forces, commit to hiring more than 100,000 veterans

More than 100 construction companies have joined forces in committing to hiring more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years. First announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed written by First Lady Michelle Obama, the move is part 0f Joining Forces, a White House initiative to find more private sector jobs for U.S. military veterans. As […]

February 10, 2014