Residential construction struggles to attract next generation
The residential construction industry continues to face a labor shortage. Industry experts link the shortage to an education gap, a perception problem and a cultural challenge that has been building for decades. While demand for skilled trades remains strong, fewer young people are choosing construction as a career.
One of the biggest reasons is exposure, rather the lack of it, in schools. Many schools have eliminated hands-on programs like carpentry, electrical, welding and sheet metal from their curriculum. Instead, students are often guided toward college, university, and office-based careers.
Another reason is the misguided narrative that stems from parental pressure or within the industry itself on the toll construction can take on the body.
