Construction companies
seeking skilled laborers adjust the perks they offer.
“Construction jobs are the fastest-growing sector for high-wage jobs, yet the industry is facing a significant shortage of skilled workers now and into the foreseeable future,” said Mark Wylie, president of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. in Orlando.
The challenge, said Natasha Washburn, human-resources manager for Tri-City Electrical Contractors Inc., has been finding employees with experience.
With about 700 employees and 200 subcontractors across the state, the electrical contractor uses digital, print and referral tools to find workers. Pay levels have not changed much in recent years as workers are increasingly looking for vacation and other time off, she added.
“We get green, green, green, green applicants with a couple months’ experience who are expecting $15 an hour,” Washburn said.
Hourly pay for experienced journeymen in the specialty trades stands at $15-$25, with frontline foremen and superintendents earning $50,000 to $70,000 annually, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
During the Great Recession, about half of the skilled workers left the industry or left the state. Many employers, Wylie added, are “scrambling” for skilled workers to help complete projects that are underway and that are expected to start next year.
Looking ahead, University of Central Florida professor Sean Snaith forecasts 6.7 percent job growth in the construction industry for the region until 2018.
To help meet the demand, the contractors association is working with Valencia and Seminole State colleges and CareerSource Central Florida to develop training programs. Osceola County recently announced a “construction pipeline” initiative at high schools. And Valencia College’s Osceola Campus has launched a construction prep class in partnership with CareerSource Central Florida.
mshanklin@tribpub.com or 407-420-5538