Skilled labor in residential construction is a commodity in short supply and the York Builders Association (YBA) is looking to change that by launching their first annual Construction Career Day events on April 16, 17 & 18. The objective of the program is to build awareness among high school students about the diverse career opportunities available to them locally in the construction industry.
The York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) launched a pilot Construction Career Day Event in April of 2017 in cooperation with Stewart & Tate Construction and one local area high school. Following the successful pilot and with the support of the YCEA, YBA agreed to take ownership of and further develop Construction Career Day as an annual event.
After several months of planning, the YBA team was able to solicit Association member companies to serve as host locations where students from seven local high schools will spend a morning learning about the work the company does, the kinds of career opportunities available, and the role the organization plays in the local residential construction market.
The lack of skilled workers in the construction trades is a big challenge, said YBA Executive Vice President Laurie Lourie. YBA would like to be part of the solution. Todays youth need to start seeing careers in construction as a viable alternative to a four-year degree, and often a lifetime of loans. The Construction Career Day events are one of several initiatives that we are working on to build a better future for the industry.
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), construction laborers will see a growth of 147,000 jobs from 2014-2024. National average incomes for trade professionals range from carpentry positions at $48,500 to electrical positions at $55,770.
The York Builders Association is a non-profit organization chartered in 1964 and affiliated with the Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The mission of the York Builders Association is to be the trusted resource for the building industry and our community. For more information, contact the York Builders Association at 717-767-2444 or www.yorkbuilders.com.
