In the final part of this series on recruiting future workers for the construction trades, we focus on how to attract young people and students into the industry.



Participants young and old at the National Building Museum’s annual Festival of the Building Arts (presented by the Associated General Contractors of America) learn about plumbing and other construction trades through fun, hands-on activity, such as putting together this pipe-and-fittings sculpture. Photo by F.T. Eyre, courtesy of the National Building Museum.

For Part 1 of this series, click here.

For Part 2 of this series, click here.

"Construction is in competition with other industries to interest qualified young people in careers and more industry programs have been implemented that recognize this. Needs will continue, regardless of the phase of the business cycle. … While the need for pro-active programs to attract young people into the construction industry remains as important as ever, the industry has been successful in expanding in recent years."
-- “Craft Labor Supply Outlook: 2005-2015”
Construction Labor Research Council, 2005

The latest Gallup Youth Survey, conducted in May 2005, found that careers in teaching, law and medicine were among the top choices for teenagers. More than 1,000 kids surveyed, aged 13 through 17, were asked to give their top three career choices.

Teaching was the No. 1 choice for teenage girls, followed by lawyer, doctor, nurse, fashion designer, scientist/biologist, author/writer, veterinarian, artist and a job in the medical field (such as lab technician).

Teenage boys chose a career in sports as their top pick (a first in the history of the survey), followed by doctor, architect, engineer, teacher, businessman, lawyer, and jobs in the military, science/biology and computers.

Jump back to 1997, when the youth survey was first conducted. At that time, the top career pick for girls was secretary, and the top choice for boys was “skilled worker,” such as plumber, carpenter or electrician.

Now, 1,000 teenagers is not a huge number, but it's common knowledge that the construction trades aren't on most young people's radar as a viable career path.

What can we, as an industry, do about attracting students to plumbing, piping and mechanical careers? And what is already being done?
 

Deconstructing The Myths

The first thing the industry can do is to help dispel the negative perceptions people have about the construction trades. In the most recent edition (2002) of the “Jobs Rated Almanac,” which rates 250 best work opportunities, construction workers were at No. 247. The only careers that ranked lower were fisherman, lumberjack and roustabout/oil field laborer.

Even people within the industry contribute to the problem by not grooming their children for the trades. “The public often perceives construction workers as uneducated and unprofessional people whose only skills are lifting heavy objects,” states a 2001 report by NOVA, a nonprofit, federally funded employment and training agency. “Social perceptions are so strong against the trades that even some tradespeople are not recommending a career in the industry to their own children.

“[A] closer look into the field reveals that this public conception of construction work is deeply faulted and often inaccurate. The traits that mark excellent workers in the building and construction trades are similar to those traits that employers look for in the more popularized high-tech industries. Trades like electrical, sheet metal, carpentry and plumbing require solid mathematical skills, logical reasoning and problem-solving skills, and the capacity to learn things quickly.”

The primary obstacles for young people entering the trades (such as plumbing, pipefitting and mechanical contracting) seem to be a low-tech industry, labor-intensive work, perceived low pay and lack of higher education.

“Although the education, training and salaries are comparable to pursuits in information technology and dot- com ventures, the pipe trades are often overlooked as a career opportunity,” notes the NOVA report, titled “Building and Construction Trades: Breaking Ground in Silicon Valley.”

 

 

  • Technology implementation: The report says that, while the building and construction trades traditionally have been slow to adopt modern technology, they have begun to embrace these technologies - cell phones, laptops, e-mail, GPS, the Internet, Web training, CAD software, office integration systems and other automated tools - to bring the construction industry into the 21st century.

     

    •  

     

  • Manual labor and job satisfaction: Yes, many of the tasks in the construction industry are physically demanding. And a major reason to enter the building trades is the ability and desire to work with your hands, to create something. But many jobs in the pipe trades can be performed in teams, or a tradesperson can use problem-solving skills to tackle certain problems, such as using mechanical means to move heavy equipment.

    “Excelling in the pipe trades takes an extensive amount of motivation, ambition, brains and brawn,” the NOVA report states. “The dynamic and specialized pipe trades are one of the most rewarding trades in the construction industry.”

     

    •  

     

  • Wages and benefits: A misconception about the building trades is that they are less profitable than a high-tech career. But plumbers and mechanical contractors are some of the highest-paid tradespeople, the NOVA report notes, with some plumbers making $88,000 a year or more. A March 13, 2005, Parade article on what people earn named plumbing as one of the “hot jobs” of 2005, with a starting salary of $30,500 to $41,500.

    In areas that are enjoying construction and renovation booms, skilled laborers are often enticed with higher hourly wages and even signing bonuses, according to a May 15, 2005, article in the Washington Post. “While the skilled trades may not have the upside potential of careers as doctors, lawyers or other professionals, they return serious money to those that pursue them.”

    In addition, some contractors are also offering better benefit packages for their workers, such as health insurance, paid vacations, retirement plans, onsite training or tuition reimbursement, etc.

     

    •  

     

  • Education and training: The lack of licensing requirements and mandatory continuing education has contributed to the negative stereotypes associated with those in the building and construction trades, the report explains. But the perception of uneducated workers is simply not true. “Plumbers, steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinklerfitters are well-educated men and women who study their craft for years, constantly innovating and implementing new technologies and controls to the world's piping systems,” explains the NOVA report.

    Not only is craft education achieved through apprenticeship and ongoing training programs, but through student programs in high schools, community colleges and state-funded universities.
     

    The Higher Education Challenge

    Many parents today want their kids to go to college, get a degree, land a job in a lucrative field and make a good salary. And most parents believe, as do most high school guidance counselors, that a “career” in the construction trades is for those who can't get into college, or don't want to.

    “It is unnecessary to attain a post-high school education to begin a career in the industry,” the NOVA report says, “but experts agree that higher education in the field is a strong career investment, and those who do further their studies in the building and construction trades have a higher earning potential.”

    The fact is that many community and technical colleges across the country offer degrees for the construction trades, usually a two-year associate's degree, such as the two-year Associates of Applied Science degree in plumbing technology at Montana State University-Northern.

    There are even some universities that offer four-year bachelors degrees in the construction trades, including construction management, construction engineering, building technology or similar discipline.

    One of these schools is Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. Its Granger Center for Construction and HVACR is one of the highest-rated HVAC programs in the country. The HVACR associate's degree program at Ferris has been around since 1945, when G.I.'s were returning from World War II and needed to learn a trade.

    “It was more of a trade school early on, where students went year-round, all day,” says Mike Fuetz, chair of Ferris' HVACR department. “They actually wore uniforms, came to school, and worked on equipment.”

    As engineering became more theoretical and less practical, the university started its bachelor's of science degree in engineering technology. Ferris requires its HVAC students to complete the associate's degree first, learning the service technician skills, before they can proceed to the engineering program.

    The program includes hydronic heating, with a lab dedicated to hydronics/fuel oil heating. In the two-year program, students also learn to work with radiant heat. In fact, the labs in the building all have in-floor radiant heat, Feutz notes. There are five different zones, and each zone is mixed differently. And in the four-year program, hydronics is one of the foundations of the entire program.

    Feutz acknowledges that parents want to send their children to colleges and not trade schools, but he sees one positive truth for the plumbing and heating industry.

    “Everybody's got air conditioners and furnaces and plumbing and toilets, and these jobs can't go overseas, not like manufacturing. Our jobs are going to be there, and the demand is getting greater and greater all the time.”

    On-campus student groups are another way to pass on the message. The Mechanical Contractors Association of America has an extensive student chapter program (33 chapters as of June 2005). These chapters exist in colleges and universities nationwide, and are sponsored by MCAA local affiliate associations.

    The program provide students the opportunity to learn about the industry by attending meetings with local affiliate sponsors, taking field trips to jobsites and facilities, working on volunteer projects, participating in fundraising events, etc.

    To help fund these two-year and four-year progams, students can apply for scholarships. We've provided a short list here, but many more may be available. Check with your local plumbing, HVAC or construction organizations to see what type of financial aid they offer.

     

    • Greater Michigan MSCA Scholarship: $2,000 award -- two scholarships of $1,000 a year. Award is based largely on scholastic achievement. Active membership in the Greater Michigan MSCA Student Chapter will be given preferential treatment. The applicant's desire to work in the HVACR industry will also be a consideration.

       

    • UA Local Union 190 Scholarship: $1,000 award -- two scholarships of $500 per year. Award is based largely on scholastic achievement. Active membership in the Greater Michigan MSCA Student Chapter will be given preferential treatment. The applicant's desire to work in the organized HVACR industry will also be a consideration.

       

    • Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association Scholarship: $2,500 award -- five scholarships of $500 per year. Award is based largely on scholastic achievement. Active membership in the Greater Michigan MSCA Student Chapter will be given preferential treatment. The applicant's desire to work in the organized HVACR industry will also be a consideration.

       

    • Michigan Association/Michigan Pipe Trades Council Scholarship: $2,500 award -- five scholarships of $500 per year. Award is based largely on scholastic achievement. Active membership in the Greater Michigan MSCA Student Chapter will be given preferential treatment. The applicant's desire to work in the organized HVACR industry will also be a consideration.

       

    • West Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association Scholarship: $1,000 award -- two scholarships of $500 per year. Award is based largely on scholastic achievement. Active membership in the Greater Michigan MSCA Student Chapter will be given preferential treatment. The applicant's desire to work in the organized HVACR industry will also be a consideration.

       

    • The Russel B. and Grace H. Green Scholarship: Two $750 scholarships. Russel Green was a master plumber in the Midland, Mich., area. His wife, Grace, established this endowment at Delta College (in Midland) in memory of her husband. It was her intent to have scholarships provided through the endowment to help train future plumbers and keep them in the local area. Preference will be given to Midland County residents. The scholarship is to benefit a student enrolled in the skilled trades, with a preference given to students studying to be a residential or light commercial plumber.

       

    • Canadian National Scholarship for Women: Five scholarships of $1,500. This award is for Canadian women entering a trade or technical program.

       

    • CN Scholarship for Women: One $500 award per year. This program is for women who pursue careers in nontraditional areas such as plumbing, gas fitting, welding, sheet metal, heavy equipment or industrial mechanics.

       

    • Community Education Partnership Scholarship: Distributed twice a year to Saint Paul College (Minn.) construction trades students with educational needs.

       

    • Richard Newman Memorial: Distributed once a year to the top Saint Paul College pipefitting and plumbing students.

       

    • Texas State Association of Plumbing Inspectors Scholarship: This program was established to provide educational scholarships to individuals in Texas desiring to attend accredited colleges or trade schools and have financial needs. Ultimately, to address Texas economic development and future workforce needs in the plumbing industry.

       

    • The Neal Harris Heating, Air Conditoning and Plumbing Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to individuals interested in pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in HVAC Technology at Linn State Technical College (Linn. Mo.). A portion of the scholarship is in the form of tuition waiver by LSTC, and is awarded over a five-semester period. Recipients must agree to serve a paid summer internship with Neal Harris Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing, Kansas City, Mo., as a condition of the scholarship. The recipient must also contractually agree to work at Neal Harris for two years following completion of the two-year degree.

       

    • American Standard/PHCC Scholarship: Four $2,500 scholarships. These are available to students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, a four-year accredited college or university, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program.

       

    • A.O. Smith Water Heaters/PHCC Scholarship: One $2,500 scholarship. This is available to students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, a four-year accredited college or university, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program.

       

    • Bradford White/PHCC Scholarship: Three $2,500 scholarships. These are available to students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program.

       

    • Delta Faucets/PHCC Scholarship: Two $2,500 scholarships for students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program. Four $2,500 scholarships for students enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a four-year accredited college or university.

       

    • State Water Heaters/PHCC Scholarship: One $2,500 scholarship for students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, a four-year accredited college or university, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program.

       

    • PHCC Educational Foundation: Two $3,000 scholarships for students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program. Three $12,000 scholarships for students enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a four-year accredited college or university.

       

    • PHCC Need-Based Scholarship: One $2,500 scholarship for students who are enrolled in a full-time certificate or degree program with a major directly related to the PHC profession at a two-year accredited technical or community college or trade school, a four-year accredited college or university, or a PHCC-approved apprenticeship program.

       

    • Associated Builders and Contractors Trimmer Education Foundation Scholarship: Awards a number of $1000 scholarships each year to applicants exhibiting the highest standards of excellence enrolled in two- or four-year construction degree programs.

       

    • National Association of Women in Construction Founders' Scholarship Foundation: Awards more than $25,000 each year to worthy recipients in construction-related programs. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $2,000. Two scholarships are available -- the undergraduate scholarship and the construction trades scholarship.


    Get 'Em While They're Young

    According to research, the best way to get students interested in the construction trades and provide career information is in middle school.

    “Whenever I meet with a group of contractors, I encourage them to recruit,” Feutz explains. “We all have to recruit for the industry; it can't be just the schools and associations.

    “I try to shame contractors into sending one of their techs and one of their nice vans to a grade school and talk to the kids. When my kids went to grade school, they saw the doctors, lawyers and accountants, but they didn't see any service techs. Kids never get to see our industry. And that's the place to plant the seed. Statistics show that when kids are about 13-15 years old, they've already decided where they want to go in life.”

    Here are just a few of the things the industry is doing right now to attract young people to the construction trades:

     

    • The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Auxiliary put together several items to get children and students interested in the trades, including coloring books and puzzle books that promote the PHC industry. The group also put together the “Constructing Your Future” booklet, written and edited by industry veteran David Shapiro (Shapiro & Duncan, Rockville, Md.), to “inform students about the challenges and excitement in the plumbing and HVAC industry.” Shapiro also gives talks and hands-on demonstrations about the plumbing trade to schools and other industry groups.

       

    • The Career Education Coalition, a partnership of HVACR and plumbing organizations, developed a Web site called Cool Careers - Hot Jobs. By logging on to www.coolcareers.org, visitors can find out how they can benefit from a career in the HVACR and plumbing industry.

       

    • The Associated Builders and Contractors established a Web site, www.trytools.org, which highlights career opportunities in the construction industry and offers educational resources for elementary and high school students, as well a parents and teachers.

       

    • A coalition of construction industry associations that want to motivate students to consider construction as a top career choice developed the Future Force Now site, www.futureforcenow.com.

       

    • The National Foundation and Institute for Construction Excellence sponsored and implemented the “From Crayons to CAD” program, which targets 6th to 9th graders for an eight-week, cross-discipline curriculum focusing on different sectors of the construction industry. The program currently is in eight states, but plans are underway to expand it nationwide. Students compete in annual regional and national design-build competitions in Kansas City, Kan. About 37,000 students have taken part in the program since it began seven years ago.

       

    • The National Building Museum presents its annual Festival of the Building Arts each September and introduces kids and parents to the building arts through hands-on activities and demonstrations. The event draws anywhere from 3,500 to 6,000 people, mostly from the greater D.C. area. The museum also hosts schools and other groups that wish to learn about the building and construction trades.

       

    • The National Center for Construction Education and Research held its inaugural National Careers in Construction Week Oct. 17-21, 2005. It is a nationwide campaign designed to increase public awareness of the hard work and contributions of our nation's craft professionals.

    If you're worried about getting good, qualified workers for your business, you need to work in your community to promote your trade. Not just your company, but your trade. Do your part to promote a positive image of the construction trades: participate in local job fairs; affiliate yourself with a local Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop; donate your skills (and your employees, tools and trucks) for community repair projects for the poor or elderly; establish an internship program at your company; help fund a scholarship program for plumbing/heating students; help establish a School-to-Career program in your state; sponsor a group of students to attend a construction careers event.

    Get involved.
     

    Internet Resources

    For resources on educating, training and recruiting young people, check out these organizations and publications. But these are only some of the resources out there. You need to do your homework; check with your local college about plumbing and/or heating programs, or do a search on the Internet. Your local PHCC or MCAA chapter, or a local union, may have programs already in place for recruiting young people.