12 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 3 • Te x a s B u i l d e r • w w w. t e x a s b u i l d e r s . o r g

by Lorraine Urey

W e’ve seen the headlines, and the construction industry is witness-ing it first hand: Texas is facing a

shortage of skilled workers and a graying workforce. This is an issue of concern not only to members of our association, but to a multitude of industry trade organizations and our elected officials.

The Texas Association of Builders has joined forces with 23 trade associations to form the Jobs for Texas Coalition, a non-partisan group that represents 350,000 Texas employers and six million jobs across the state. The coalition is working with the Legislature on workforce development and education reform, advocating for a system that provides students with more flexibility to pursue a curriculum that meets their individual interests and the needs of Texas employers. It’s an economic issue: Texas employers cannot sustain or expand their current operations without access to a larger pool of skilled, educated workers.

The average age of a skilled craftsman such as a carpenter is 49; welder 55; plumber 56; and, stone mason 69. Over

the next five years, 20 percent of skilled laborers in the construction industry will retire. That’s in addition to the skilled craftsmen our industry lost during the recession. Nationwide, over the last four years, two million construction workers left the industry, many of whom will not return to the field.

There is a demand for both housing and well-paying jobs in Texas. A skilled workforce can help to provide both, but employers must be proactive to ensure the health of the industry and our economy. With the need for skilled workers and the earning potential that these jobs provide, it is incumbent upon the construction industry to support vocational and technical training, and to advocate for more high school level information regarding training for careers in the skilled trades.

The current high school graduation plan requires four years of math, science, English and social studies. Some critics say this plan is too rigid and doesn’t permit, for example, the substitution of a geometry course designed for construction workers in lieu of a standard math class. Texas’ current graduation requirements and testing

system do not allow enough flexibility to accommodate for the career and technical courses that could prepare students for jobs as welders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other skilled professions.

Students may drop out of high school if they do not find their studies to be relevant, or if they have not been offered the flexibility to pursue technical and vocational education. (Recent data from the Texas Education Agency show that high school students who take courses in career and technology education through a technical preparation program have higher average graduation rates and are less likely to drop out than those students who do not participate in Tech Prep.)

It is estimated that only 40 percent of all college students complete their four-year degree plans. That leaves 60 percent of high school graduates without a clear career path – one that could have led them to vocational and technical education after high school and into a well-paying job in two years or less. “You provide the necessary skills training in areas of real industry demand and your graduates are employment ready and get hired in good paying jobs,” Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken has stated.

Preparing high school students to earn college degrees is important for the state’s economic future. The same can be said, however, for increasing the number of Texans who earn associate degrees and post-secondary training certificates. A reduction in the pool of available skilled workers presents a challenge to Texas businesses in maintaining a competitive edge. Texas must continue to increase the supply of skilled workers if it hopes to maintain the economic edge it has had over other states in recent years.

According to Texas Workforce Commission projections, Texas will have an average of nearly 44,000 job openings annually through 2016 for occupations requiring an associate degree or post-secondary vocational certification. In Texas, occupations that require an associate degree or post-secondary vocational certificate pay an average of more than $40,000 annually, compared to the average pay of less than $25,000 for those with only a high school diploma or less.

There is a perception that skilled workers are less intelligent than those who hold white-collar jobs. The truth is that welders, electricians and pipe fitters must understand math and science, although the standard high school curriculum may not provide

ensuring a Skilled Workforce assures a Vibrant economy for texas

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the hands-on teaching approach that allows them to excel in these areas.

A second myth is that only those who attend college can make a good living. A welder newly accredited by a technical school can earn $2,000 a week. In as little as three years, a master plumber can make $75,000 a year. Texas State Technical College estimates that 30 percent of Texas’ jobs are in fields that technical schools offer.

Young adults coming out of vocational programs are also future business owners who in turn hire employees and pay taxes. Currently, the home building industry in Texas represents over 400,000 jobs and more than $22 billion in the Texas economy. As the state’s population continues to grow and the demand for housing continues to rise, these numbers will increase exponentially.

Making significant changes to Texas’ current education system is a daunting – and expensive – undertaking. In the interim between the last and the current Texas Legislative Sessions, Speaker Joe Straus charged 30 House committees with recommending ways to advance manufacturing (which includes construction) in our state. The committees held hearings and heard testimony from scores of individuals, each of whom has an opinion on how to ensure a future skilled workforce. Additionally, the Senate’s interim committees held hearings of their own in this regard.

Jerry Garcia, a custom home builder and developer from Corpus Christi, spoke on behalf of the Texas Association of Builders at a hearing of the Interim House Committee on Manufacturing in San Antonio in October. Garcia, whose father was a “jack of all trades in the home building industry,” recalled going to work with his dad on jobsites. Not only did he find his passion – building homes – he learned valuable skills and the value of mentoring.

Garcia provided testimony to the committee regarding the difficulty of finding enough skilled workers to complete a home on time and on budget. “There is a lack of skilled craftsmen in Corpus Christi. Not only does this shortage delay the completion of the project, it adds to the cost of the home.” (According to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, for every $1,000 increase in the cost of an average-priced home in Texas, approximately 27,000 households are priced out of the market.)

It remains to be seen if our legislature will make substantive changes to Texas’ current

high school graduation plan. Therefore, it is up to employers to help fill the gap to provide learning opportunities at the jobsite and support the transition of young people into the skilled workforce labor market. Experienced, skilled professionals can work with our vocational and technical schools and offer career counseling, mentoring and apprenticeship programs to high school students in our communities.

“In the past, when the [housing] starts were up to a million and a half, you could come on a jobsite and get on the job training,” said John Courson of the Home

Texas’ changing demographics are placing new demands on the state’s educational institutions and increase the need for workforce training. Public two-year colleges are in a unique position to provide direct work-related training to the state’s increasingly diverse student population.

Texas’ relatively young, growing population offers it an economic advantage – if it can ensure that its workers have the education and skills that employers want.

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Builders Institute (HBI). “What we see now is employers want to hire skilled workers, and that’s what we’re producing with our students, those who can go on the jobsite and work.” HBI is the non-profit arm of the National Association of Home Builders and works with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps to train new construction workers. (Learn more at http://www.jobcorps.gov/business.aspx)

Employers in the construction industry can provide more opportunities for young

adults to participate in work-based learning to not only hold jobs, but to become the business owners of the future. By showing students in the last two years of high school that they may choose career-bound learning, we can decrease drop-out rates and ensure the future of our industry.

The Metro East Division of the Dallas Builders Association has worked with the Garland Independent School District (GISD) for four decades to assist in developing and training young men and women in the science of the construction industry. For over 40 years, GISD has trained students in cabinetry,

electrical technology and installation, plumbing, framing, and many other aspects of the industry.

“Several years ago we worked with them to develop a system for partnering with the building industry and Habitat for Humanity to construct homes up to a certain stage – actually on the campus of one of the high schools,” said Jerry Carter, a Garland builder who has long been a part of this initiative. “Lots were acquired by the GISD or Habitat, mostly in depressed areas where the land had little marketable value, but that has allowed this partnership to do revitalization of these areas as well as provide a home, and homeownership for those who need it the most and often have the least resources to ever achieve the American Dream. The homes were then moved to the properties and completed by Habitat and the new home owners. We also provide a monthly allowance to the classes to purchase expendables for the kids to use in the learning process.”

In 2010, the Texas Association of Builders established the non-profit Texas Builders Foundation. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to students enrolled in trade schools, colleges, and universities in Texas and who are pursuing construction-related certifications or degrees. Granger MacDonald, a builder from Kerrville, serves as chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees.

“We are pleased to support the future construction workforce in Texas and are looking forward to not only providing financial assistance to students, but to mentoring these young men and women as they work toward becoming a part of our industry,” said MacDonald. “I invite you to reach out to the high schools, technical schools and community colleges in your area. And, I want to thank those of you who are involved in mentoring programs. By working together, we can meet the growing demands for a skilled workforce.”

For more information about how you can become involved in the efforts of the Texas Builders Foundation, visit TexasBuildersFoundation.org or call the Texas Association of Builders at (512) 476-6346.

Lorraine Urey is director of member services for the Texas Association of Builders, and is the staff liaison to the Texas Builders Foundation. n

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