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
Contractors | Sep 14, 2015
Gilbane report: Nonres building on brink of ‘breakout’ spending year
Total construction spending is on pace to achieve double-digit growth in 2015, and a strong single-digit increase next year. But finding labor will be tough.
Giants 400 | Sep 10, 2015
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR GIANTS: Stantec, Turner, Jacobs among top industrial AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest industrial sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report
Giants 400 | Sep 10, 2015
MILITARY SECTOR GIANTS: Clark Group, HDR, Fluor top rankings of nation's largest military sector AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest military sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report
Contractors | Sep 9, 2015
ABC: Construction activity increases as backlog edges higher
The backlog indicator is up 1% to 8.5 months during the second quarter of 2015.
Giants 400 | Sep 8, 2015
RETAIL SECTOR GIANTS: Callison RTKL, PCL Construction, Jacobs among top retail sector AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest retail sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report
BIM and Information Technology | Sep 7, 2015
The power of data: How AEC firms and owners are using analytics to transform design and construction
Case’s bldgs = data conference highlighted how collecting data about personal activities can inform design and extend the power of BIM/VDC.
Industrial Facilities | Sep 3, 2015
DATA CENTER SECTOR GIANTS: Fluor, Gensler, Holder Construction among top data center AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest data center sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Surveys gauge users’ satisfaction with airports
Several surveys gauge passenger satisfaction with airports, as flyers and airlines weigh in on technology, security, and renovations.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Small and regional airports in a dogfight for survival
Small and regional airports are in a dogfight for survival. Airlines have either cut routes to non-hub markets, or don’t provide enough seating capacity to meet demand.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Airports expand rental car facilities to ease vehicular traffic at their terminals
AEC teams have found fertile ground in building or expanding consolidated rental car facilities, which are the No. 1 profit centers for most airports.