Celebrate Construction Appreciation Week 2024
As this week is Construction Appreciation Week, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the industry’s accomplishments and show appreciation for the hard work of its employees. It’s also a great time to showcase its achievements, enticing others to join this great industry.
Highlight Construction’s Benefits
Construction Appreciation Week, which falls on September 16-21 this year, gives companies a chance to highlight everything that’s positive about working in the industry. According to AGC’s 2024 Industry Workforce Analysis, sponsored by Arcoro, 94% of construction firms report having a hard time finding workers to hire. Educating the public about the value of construction could help recruit the next generation of construction professionals.
For years, young workers have been prompted to attend a four-year college over pursuing a trade. An AGC report found that federal officials invest four times as much each year encouraging students to earn four-year degrees as they do supporting workforce development programs for fields like construction. But that could be changing as Gen Z workers want career opportunities that are more hands on – and don’t come with thousands of dollars of debt. Having a career in the trades offers high pay, job security and training opportunities but also the opportunity to do something that doesn’t require sitting behind a desk all day or that can be outsourced to AI.
Showcase how your company offers hands-on positions that are supported by training and financial assistance via your website, social media and training and recruitment materials. For example,
- Reinforce opportunities to earn and learn, without accruing debt. Construction workers earn from day one. Even apprentices get paid while learning on the job. According to Construction Executive, the average hourly wage for a skilled laborer is $21.21, allowing young people to earn about $44,564 per year. And construction employment offers several opportunities to advance, building upon that initial salary year after year.
- Illustrate how construction careers offer a variety of positions with room for advancement. Construction work offers multiple options or entry-level work, like carpentry, general contracting, commercial construction, roofing and more, higher pathways include master craftsmen, foremen, tech support, estimating, project management, senior management and owner.
Develop Partnerships to Promote the Industry
Career building programs can help put your open positions in front of more potential workers. AGC’s report shares that 51% of respondents engaged with a career-building program, at high schools, colleges or career and technical education programs last year. To get started, participate in school fairs and let local high schools know your company is available as a field trip location. Giving students a close-up view of what a job site is really like will reveal all the complexities of construction work. You can offer hands-on experience by inviting students to help build special projects, under supervision. Or develop a mentorship program where high school students can work under the supervision of crew members during school breaks.
Use HR Construction Software for Recruiting and Development
HR construction software, like an applicant tracking system (ATS) or learning management system (LMS) can help construction companies attract and retain more construction talent – and more construction companies agree.
According to AGC’s report, 20% of respondents implemented software to distribute job postings and manage applications in 2023. An ATS integrates with top job search websites and job boards, allowing construction companies to reach more candidates, including young people, women, minorities and veterans. The data centralized within an ATS can be used to screen candidates, schedule tests and interviews, check references and send new-hire paperwork, saving HR departments a huge amount of time.
HR software can also help you train and upskill your workers. While 61% of AGC’s survey respondents say they raised base pay – a great way to attract more workers – 42% also increased spending on training and professional development. Workers, especially young workers, want options to grow their careers. Professional development, like courses offered through an LMS, offer employees the opportunity to expand their skills. An LMS not only provides the vehicle for learning but can track progress so both employees and management are on the same page. AGC found in 2023, 25% of respondents used technology to deliver and track training.
Arcoro offers HR solutions for construction companies to draw – and keep – more people in the industry, which is certainly something to be appreciated. Our ATS and LMS can improve your current processes, ultimately making them more efficient – which saves you money in the long run.
Contact us today for a free demo.
