Across the country, employers in many industries are facing challenging labor shortages. In fact, the United States Chamber of Commerce developed an interactive website to help each state better understand its own workforce: where they have workers, where they need workers, and how to build up a stronger pipeline for the next generation.
Kentucky is facing a severe worker shortage, meaning our state has 74 available workers for every 100 open jobs–or, from a different perspective, a shortfall of 26 workers per 100 jobs available.
Kentucky currently has:
- Job Openings: 111,000
- Unemployed Workers: 82,001
According to KET, “construction positions are available at every level, whether you’re starting your career, transitioning from military service or another field, or just looking for a new challenge. In the next five years, there will be over 10,000 job openings in Kentucky in the construction field. Many companies offer on-the-job training and apprenticeships.”
But what do we do about filling careers in construction when there’s a shortfall across the state?
Get creative.
There are varying opinions on how construction employers can attract more people to the industry, but one thing is for sure: employers will need to think outside the box. There are so many jobs that it can feel extremely competitive to attract and retain workers, meaning salaries are increasing, benefits are improving, and recruitment efforts are in full force for employers across the state.
But rather than look at peers as competitors in recruitment, I Build America Kentucky takes the perspective of collaboration: if we work together to bring more individuals into the construction workforce, Kentucky’s construction industry will thrive. Rather than watch individuals walk away from careers in construction to go work in another industry, employers want talented individuals to remain in the industry–even if it means moving from one construction company to another. Internal movement is preferred to watching a young person leave to take a job in a warehouse or restaurant.
So what are some of the innovative solutions? Here’s what people are talking about:
- Immigration solutions to bring foreign born workers who want to work in construction to the United States
- Technology enhancements to make existing jobs more streamlined and efficient
- Temporary staffing to cover the most pressing workforce gaps
- People-focused solutions, such as better communication within the profession, more DEI efforts, increasing recognition of current employees, and improved education and training opportunities
Regardless of the way in which we look to grow our workforce, I Build America – Kentucky is here to help make us all better, together.
