Employers search for workers in skilled trades

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Apr 21, 2006 by Tampone, Kevin

SYRACUSE - Skilled trades from carpentry to auto repair are seeing serious talent shortages, and employers say the shrinking pool of qualified workers directly affects their businesses.

"If we could add another crew right now, we would," says Richard Edmond, manager of the Homer branch of Morton Buildings, a national builder of steelclad, wood-frame buildings. "If we could do that, we could take on more jobs.

"We're always looking for people. If it's not in this area, it's another area."

Local employers like Edmond say they are in a constant state of trying to recruit as many talented workers as possible. The competition is not just local either.

Companies who need trade and skilled technical workers across the country are in the same situation.

More than 80 percent of manufacturers in a 2005 study from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Deloitte Consulting reported a shortage of qualified workers. And of those 83 percent said the shortage hinders their ability to serve customers.

For example, the companies have trouble maintaining target production levels, worker productivity, and customer satisfaction, according to the study.

Between 1950 and 2000, the percentage of jobs available for skilled workers from welders to woodworkers more than tripled, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 1950, 60 percent of the jobs available could have been filled by unskilled workers while in 2000, just 15 percent of positions available were suitable for unskilled labor.

According to the NAM report, the idea of an "unskilled worker" has virtually disappeared.

There are a number of reasons for the talent shortage, says Thomas Holdsworth, a spokesman for SkillsUSA, a national alliance of educators, employers, and students working to help industries address the shortage of workers in trades and technical professions.

One of the chief problems employers are facing currently is the impending retirement of the baby-boom generation, Holdsworth says. Many industries like manufacturing and construction that need highly skilled workers are populated by people who are rapidly approaching retirement.

There are simply not enough younger workers coming up through the ranks to replace them, Holdsworth says.

"A lot of emphasis is being placed on professional degrees," he says.

Trades and skill-intensive professions often face a two-fold problem in attracting young talent, says Kathryn Thomas of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 747 in Syracuse.

First, young people who might be interested in carpentry, for example, have misconceptions about the difficulty of the work, Thomas says. Some believe it to be far easier than it actually is.

"This is not something for everyone," she says. "You need skills. You need math skills. Our whole business is math skills. If you can't work with fractions, you're not going to get very far in carpentry.

"You need a real mechanical aptitude."

Once some students realize that working in a trade is not necessarily an easy ride, they are sometimes scared off.

Second, students look at trades and sometimes don't realize they are true career paths.

"People don't look at these professions as a career," Thomas says. "They don't see it as something that can support a family."

As for how to address those problems, raising awareness is key, says Michael Alt, district manager for residential engineering at Carrier Corporation. Companies need to work with vocational programs and schools to ensure they are training students to meet their needs, he says.

The shortage is not likely to disappear soon, Alt adds.

"We need people," he says. "We need guys who can jump right in a truck and get going tomorrow."