Leaders across the construction, retail and skilled trades industries created a new council to combat the skilled labor crisis in the U.S. and Canada. The Skilled Trades Advisory Council (STAC) seeks to leverage resources, knowledge and network to elevate the skilled trades as high-paying and honorable career paths, including construction and glazing.
SATC Officials say the council is needed as trade jobs remain unfilled. They reference a report produced by Handshake that shows the application rate for young people who seek technical jobs dropped by 49% in 2022 compared to 2020. They also cite a report produced by staffing firm PeopleReady that shows 40% of the 12 million people in the skilled trades workforce are over the age of 45, with nearly half of those workers over the age of 55.
Associated Builders and Contractors estimates that the construction industry needs to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand for labor.
