Masonry Magazine July 2007 Page. 28
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
# LABOR
# CRUNCH
Worker shortages are driving aggressive recruitment programs for new skilled labor.
One of the most pressing issues facing the masonry industry is attracting skilled workers. Industry analysts say that a growing industry coupled with the retirement of experienced masons has created a demand for new hires.
The U.S. Department of Labor projects the construction industry to be among the top 10 largest sources of employment growth through 2012, hiring approximately 240,000 workers each year - many of them for masonry.
Those statistics aren't a surprise to Patrick McLaughlin, executive director for the Florida Masonry Apprentice and Educational Foundation Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla. "We're always having a problem finding qualified people in the masonry industry," he said.
By Brett Martin
All photos courtesy of the International Masonry Institute
26 Masonry
July 2007 www.masoncontracters.org
The Voice of the Masonry Industry