According to the Associated General Contractors of America, 86% of construction firms in the U.S. are having problems finding skilled workers, including carpenters, equipment operators, and laborers. Sundt Construction does not want to be one of them.
The Arizona-based firm opened its own training center for craft employees in response to the labor shortages in the industry. Sundt’s Center for Craft Excellence, in Phoenix, offers training across many specialties, including equipment operation, pipefitting, mechanics, industrial carpentry, welding, ironworking, and electrical.
“Finding experienced people has been difficult since the economy shrank. There were a lot of people who left the industry and haven’t returned,” Sundt Craft Training Manager Sean Ray said in a statement. “This facility isn’t just helping us train the next generation of craft workers, it’s allowing us to invest in our people and the skills they use every day on our jobs. It’s a winning situation for everyone: our customers, our craft workers and our company.”
The center can also administer the National Craft Assessment and Certification Program (NCACP), and guide employees to attain National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Certified Plus status.
Related Stories
| Aug 15, 2016
Top 60 Sports Facility Construction Firms
Mortenson Construction, AECOM, and Turner Construction Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest sports facility sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 15, 2016
MILITARY GIANTS: Cross-laminated timber construction gets a salute from the Army
By privatizing the construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and ownership of its hotels the Army expects to cut a 20-year timetable for repairs and replacement of its lodging down to eight years.
| Aug 12, 2016
SCIENCE + TECHNOLOGY GIANTS: Incubator model is reimagining research and lab design
Interdisciplinary interaction is a common theme among many new science and technology offices.
| Aug 12, 2016
Top 30 Science + Technology Construction Firms
Skanska USA, Suffolk Construction Co., and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest science + technology sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 12, 2016
OFFICE GIANTS: Technology is giving office workers the chance to play musical chairs
Technology is redefining how offices function and is particularly salient in the growing trend of "hoteling" and "hot seating" or "free addressing."
| Aug 12, 2016
Top 100 Office Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., Structure Tone, and Gilbane Building Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest office sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 11, 2016
RETAIL GIANTS: Retailers and developers mix it up to stay relevant with shoppers
Retail is becoming closely aligned with entertainment, and malls that can be repositioned as lifestyle centers will have enhanced value.
| Aug 10, 2016
Top 80 Retail Construction Firms
VCC, PCL Construction Enterprises, and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest retail sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 10, 2016
DATA CENTER GIANTS: Information overload is pushing the limits of mission-critical facilities
Streamlined design and delivery approaches for individual business enterprises and co-location facilities are being born out of the necessity to bring new capacity online as quickly as possible.
Data Centers | Aug 10, 2016
Top 40 Data Center Construction Firms
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Holder Construction Co., and DPR Construction top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest data center sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.