Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal released an article entitled “How Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation,” that captured the rise of high school students pursuing opportunities in the trades over the traditional college track. The article highlights the growth and economic opportunity in trades like welding, plumbing and construction in comparison to the potential debt and job insecurity for those entering a four-year college.
This is not the first time the potential shortcomings of a four-year degree have been raised, or that the benefits of alternatives to college like trade school have made headline news. But in a society that has stressed the importance of college and the opportunities it creates for the last 30 years, how can students get exposure to the trades and consider them as viable options for post-graduation?
Construction Ready, a nonprofit organization committed to training people for great-paying, entry-level construction jobs, does just that. In a recent interview with the Roundtable, Scott Shelar, president and CEO of Construction Ready, shares how they break down stigmas and provide students with the training and experience to pursue careers in construction as the kind of skilled worker the industry so desperately needs.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What makes Construction Ready’s approach to training and equipping people from all walks of life for construction careers unique? And what kind of impact have you seen?
Shelar: What makes Construction Ready and the work we do unique is our connection to the construction industry. Construction industry leaders founded our organization in 1993. To this day, more than 30 years later, industry leaders guide what we do. It is so important in workforce development to stay closely connected to employers and be responsive to their needs, because they ultimately hire and help our students grow in their careers. It’s also important that we meet the needs of our schools, teachers and students.
A good example is our pre-apprenticeship program. When we started this program, we gathered 30 of the largest construction employers in Atlanta. We asked them, “What type of training should we offer? What credentials do our students need? What are the most important skills and knowledge our students need to be safe and productive on your job sites?”
As a result of listening carefully to employers, we have a 91% placement rate through our pre-apprenticeship program, and a greater than 70% retention rate after one year. Over the years, we’ve seen our graduates celebrate five- and 10-year work anniversaries and in some cases, even start their own companies!
Construction Ready’s role is to help more people become aware of opportunities in the skilled trades, to help them gain the skills and credentials they need to be successful and to connect them with a quality construction employer.
Q: There’s been a recent uptick in students choosing to pursue a trade profession over going to college. How does Construction Ready help equip students who may be interested in trade school?
Shelar: Over the past four years, we have seen a shift in the increase of the number of students choosing a trade profession. We think COVID shined a spotlight on essential jobs like construction trades. There also seems to be greater recognition of how crushing college debt can be for a young person starting their career. We think these two factors have caused more people to consider a career in the trades.
Q: Apart from training practical construction skills, how does Construction Ready support people in finding work and putting their newfound skills to use?
Shelar: One way we connect our students to employers is by providing them with a rigorous 20-day training program to get them started. During the program, they meet potential employers and earn credits they need to start working in construction. At this training, 97% of our graduates get matched with our employers.
While practical construction skills are important, employers have told us the most important thing we can do is help our students understand and acquire employability skills. This includes showing up on time, staying drug free, interviewing with confidence, communication skills, financial literacy, etc. So, approximately 30% of our training focuses on these employability skills. During our program, we help our students conquer these life skills so they can be as successful as possible in their new construction career.
Q: Could you share a story of someone who has benefited from Construction Ready’s programs?
Shelar: A young man named Ryan Gilbert graduated from our metals program at Harris County High School in 2022. Now he’s repairing pipelines and bridges underwater with a company called Phoenix International. From their website, Phoenix provides “Underwater Ingenuity, solving your toughest underwater challenges with uncompromising safety, operational efficiency, advanced underwater robotics and highly skilled personnel – worldwide!”
His most important assignment to date is working on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore County, Maryland. “It was pretty nerve-wracking to get the call (to work on such an important project), but once you get there, you don’t really have time to think of its importance until it’s done.”
What we love about this story is how it illustrates construction skills can take you anywhere to work on the most important projects in the world. Ryan enjoys his exciting career and credits Construction Ready and the program at Harris County for setting him on his path.
Q: Construction is primarily a male populated career. What barriers do you see for women trying to enter the industry and how does Construction Ready help break those down?
Shelar: Unfortunately, women make up only 6.2% of the construction workforce. The good news is that industry leaders are recognizing one of the best ways to address the worker shortage is to attract more women into the industry. Attracting more women into the skilled trades is a strategic priority for Construction Ready.
Over the years, we’ve supported initiatives like Build Her Future, a program that encourages women to consider a career in construction. Build Her Future provides custom toolboxes with items like workwear that is specifically made for women’s bodies and a copy of best-selling author Katy Kay’s book, “The Confidence Code.”
In addition, Construction Ready partners with community organizations who provide child care and other wrap around services that make it easier for women to participate in our training program and in the construction workforce. As a result, 23% of students enrolled in our pre-apprenticeship program are female. Ultimately, we want to be closer to 50%, but 23% is a big step in the right direction.
If you would like to learn more about Construction Ready, contact Pathways to Opportunity Director Stephen Allison.
