Everybody loves a good comeback story, and skilled tradespeople are about to have their moment, or perhaps decade, in the sun. If you’ve ever considered pursuing a career in the building trades, NOW is the time!
Construction is booming. 2022 and 2023 are poised to be big years in construction, and, thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed in November of 2021, the demand for men and women in the skilled workforce has never been greater.
The IIJA bill contains an estimated $550 billion in new spending that will be used to improve U.S. roads, bridges, and water systems, and includes funding for projects in public transportation and broadband. Who will be needed to do the majority of that work? You guessed it: skilled tradespeople. President Biden was quoted as saying that the bill will create millions of union jobs all across the country. Plus, new IIJA work aside, the American Institutes of Architects’ Consensus Construction Forecast predicts non-residential construction in the United States will grow 4.6% in 2022, and Oxford Economics and ConstructConnect predict a 9% growth in the residential sector. Those are staggering numbers!
For the women and men who have pursued or are pursuing a career in the building trades, the opportunities are bountiful and almost limitless in the years and decade(s) to come. With boomers retiring from the skilled labor workforce and many younger generations choosing 4-year degrees over trade school in hopes of “more opportunity,” the pool of skilled labor is shrinking, while the need is great and only growing. In the current market, skilled tradespeople are already reaping all the benefits that come with high demand for their unique skills - job security, rich benefits, rising pay, and endless opportunity - and we’ve only scratched the surface of the level of demand to come.
What’s more, tradesmen and tradeswomen will be doing some of the most meaningful, rewarding, and exciting work in the years to come. They will be, quite literally, building a better America with their hands. Talk about work you can hang your hat on and be proud of!
If you’ve been considering a career in the building trades, what are you waiting for? The time is now, and the future is brighter than ever before!
We’d love to have you join us. Learn how to get started with a rich and rewarding career in the building trades today.
