We are continuously inundated with contractors’ complaints regarding the inability to find technicians. Whether it be in trade publications, at contractor meetings, or industry conventions, the topic of finding individuals who are willing to work in the skilled trades is usually one of the first to be discussed. While there are undoubtedly a number of factors which lead to this problem, there are two possible solutions I believe the industry needs to consider in order to change the landscape for our future workforce.
The first has to do with perception. For the last several decades, the education industry has done an excellent job of selling the public on the fact that it is absolutely necessary for everyone to have a college degree. What apparently has not been taken into consideration is whether or not there is going to be a demand in the workforce for all of these well-educated college graduates.