Construction Workforce Shortage

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS SEEN A BOOST IN THE NEED FOR MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE POPULATION. GROWTH AND POST HURRICANE REBUILDING MEANS EXTENSIVE WORK ON ROADS, BRIDGES AND MIXED. USE DEVELOPMENTS. BUT ISSUES IN THE HEAVY, HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COULD IMPACT FUTURE WORK ACCORDING TO WORKFORCE PLACEMENT GROUP, ABEL MAKER 67% OF CONSTRUCTION FIRMS REPORT LABOR SHORTAGES AND FOR EVERY 5 WORKERS RETIRING ONLY ONE NEW WORKER ENTERS THE FIELD. THIS DISPARITY HAS LED TO A SHORTAGE OF NEARLY 440,000 NEW WORKERS. NOW SOME GROUPS ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS THIS SHORTAGE BY FINDING NEW WAYS TO RECRUIT THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS. A FLORIDA COMPANY SUPERIOR CONSTRUCTION HAS LAUNCHED A NEW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS A LABOR SHORTAGE AND THAT HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. JESSICA PASS KEY IS DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT AND FORMER APPRENTICE CLIFFORD DO JOINS US NOW WITH MORE IN BOTH ARE LOCATED IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. JESSICA, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS NEW WORK FORCE PROGRAM AND HOW IT WOULD HELP GET INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS LIKE ROADS AND BRIDGES BUILT RIGHT HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND AROUND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. >> ABSOLUTELY. OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS REALLY FACING SOME SHORTAGES THAT ARE GOING TO BE GETTING BIGGER AS TIME GOES ON AND A LOT OF US WHO ARE MILLENNIALS OR OF YOUNGER GENERATIONS WEEK. WE CAN LOOK AROUND IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND TELL YOU THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE OUR AGE ARE BABY BOOMERS ARE STARTING TO RETIRE. THEY'RE NEARING RETIREMENT AGE AND WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE COMING IN. SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO THEIR STEP, BRING IN MORE MORE PEOPLE TO THIS WORKFORCE. SO THAT INVOLVES ALSO TRAINING THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE SO ARE STEPPING TO SHUT. IT REALLY BRINGS TOGETHER EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH HIGH SCHOOLS WITH ON SECOND CHANCE ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND IT ALSO COUPLES THAT WITH SOME INTERNAL TRAINING PROGRAMS LIKE THE ONE THAT CLIFFORD PARTOOK IN, WHICH IS KIND OF DEVELOPING OUR SKILLED TRADES A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR PROGRAM. WE HAVE A CARPENTRY PROGRAM. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SHORTER SKILLED LABOR PROGRAMS, TOO, REALLY GET PEOPLE UP TO SKILL A LOT FASTER >> WHAT DOES STEP STAND FOR AND HOW IS IT DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER TRADE AND SKILLS, SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS LIKE THAT. >> SURE, IT STANDS FOR SUPERIOR TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PATHWAYS. AND I THINK REALLY WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE IS WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY GEARED TOWARDS HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS WHAT SUPERIOR DOES. WE BUILD ROADS AND BRIDGES. AND IF YOU GO TO A TRADE SCHOOL OR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, THEY'LL HAVE REALLY GREAT PROGRAMS FOR THINGS LIKE CARPENTRY, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO FOCUS A LOT MORE ON BUILDINGS, RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE REALLY TRY TO TAILOR OUR PROGRAMS, TOO HEAVY CIVIL TO BUILDING ROADS AND BRIDGES. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE STATE HAS EVERYTHING IS GROWING. >> NOW, SUPERIOR CONSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY FUNDING THE PROGRAM FROM FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT IT IS TUITION FREE FOR STUDENTS? >> ABSOLUTELY. OUR PROGRAMS ARE ACTUALLY IT'S KIND OF THE REVERSE OF THAT. THEY'RE PAID SO ALL OF OUR TRAINEES ARE EMPLOYEES OF SUPERIOR. WE PAY THEM TO TRAIN. NOW CLIFFORD. >> YOU WERE PART OF THE PILOT PROGRAM. YOU HAVE NOW GRADUATED. TELL US HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE PROGRAM AND WHAT YOU LEARNED AND WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING AS A RESULT OF IT. >> FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SOME PERIOD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. AND HOW I OF ULTIMATELY GOT STARTED IN THE PROGRAM WAS FIRST NOTICED SHOWING UP EVERY DAY. WHAT THE WORKING MINDSET AND, YOU KNOW, BEING WILLING TO LEARN ENGLISH TO BE FLEXIBLE, NO MATTER WHAT THE TASK IS. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LET MY WORK SPEAK FOR ITSELF. AND, YOU KNOW, I GOT NOTICED BY A COUPLE OF A FEW OF THE 4 MINS AND THE YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF BROUGHT IT TO THE SIDE. AND, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, WHAT ARE MY ANSWERS? YOU KNOW, IF I WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE INTERESTED IN FURTHERING MY CAREER. AND, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION HERE WAS A PERIOD, OF COURSE OF I WAS ALL GAME FORWARD. >> AND HOW DID THIS PROGRAM HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR CAREER GOALS? >> HOW THAT HELPED ME IS. >> GIVE ME THE KNOW HOW YOU KNOW. I'VE SEEN I'VE SEEN THE JOB PERFORM SEVERAL TIMES. BUT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE EXPERIENCE OPERATORS. >> AND, YOU KNOW, WAS I GOT NO THE INFORMATION MYSELF. IT WAS JUST REALLY A DAY BY DAY THING. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKING IT ONE DAY AT A TIME. ONE STEP AT A TIME. AND JUST FINDING A PACE AND A STRATEGY THAT WORKS FOR ME. >> HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM? >> I WAS SAD. PROXIMATE LEE ABOUT LEAVING 4 TO 5, MAYBE 6 MONTHS AND THEN ON THE TAIL AND OF THE THE PROGRAM. WE HAVE THE ACTUAL FIELD WHERE YOU GO. YOU GO ONTO THE FIELD AND THAT EQUIPMENT THAT YOU WERE IN CLASS RECEIVE A CERTIFICATION FOR US TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THE EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU GET TO OPERATE. THE EQUIPMENT WE KNOW, LEARN ALL THE INS AND OUTS FROM OUR REAL WORLD STANDPOINT AND I REALLY HAVE NO COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS. >> AND CAN YOU TOUCH ON THE PAY FOR A JOB LIKE THIS? >> SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE INSIGHT, MY PAY WENT UP. TREMENDOUSLY MORE THAN MORE THAN 5 BOOKS ON THE HOUR FOR SURE. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KNOW, ANYONE MAY BE WONDERING, YOU KNOW, CAN I, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF MY BILL, CANNOT TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY DOING THIS TYPE OF WORK. I CAN ATTEST, YOU KNOW, FROM BEING A FATHER. IT, YOU KNOW, BEING A PROVIDER MYSELF. YOU CAN 110% MAKE A COMFORTABLE LIVING IN. OFF THIS TYPE OF ARE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. AND JESSICA PASS KEY. APPRECIATE IT.