Dive Brief:
- A Florida partnership between the Construction Workforce Taskforce and Build Your Future has launched Build Your Future Florida to address the shortage of skilled trades professionals in the state, according to a press release. Their goal is to connect employers, government and construction associations to attract workers to the skilled construction field and meet the state's need for talented workers.
- With demand in the skilled trades anticipated to grow over the next decade, the release said, Build Your Future Florida's goal is to give Florida residents a platform to learn about a construction industry career, find training centers and gain employment in their chosen craft occupation.
- Build Your Future Florida's website provides information on roles in skilled trades, like electricians, welders, glaziers, sheet metal workers and more, for curious, prospective workers.
Dive Insight:
Shop class is back in certain parts of the country, but that's not all that's being done to tackle the skilled trades skills gap. As the gap continues to widen, business, educators, NGOs and government entities have scrambled to fill jobs, invest in training and start apprenticeship programs. With some suggesting the skills gap is actually stalling growth in the construction industry, a new focus on improving access to these lucrative careers is in full swing.
A part of this push is efforts to train middle-skill workers — those who need specific training but not a four-year degree — in skilled trades areas. More cities and industries report demand is far exceeding supply for workers in construction, skilled manufacturing and other sectors. Detroit, for example, announced the construction of a $30 million facility to train up to 1,500 students every year in skilled trades, and help provide Michigan businesses with more qualified hires for 15,000 annual job openings in skilled trades.
Apprentice programming is also on the rise in many fields. Though previous reports indicated that the Trump administration's apprenticeship initiative had stalled, the U.S. Department of Labor announced on Monday a proposed rulemaking that would allow for the appointment of new bodies to set certain standards for apprenticeships under the National Apprenticeship Act.
