Facility managers in institutional and commercial facilities should already be exploring new and creative ways to draw workers to the profession.
We have profiled those kinds of initiatives here, such as a program instituted by Kent State University that gives in-house employees opportunities to learn trades to become maintenance employees.
Another example of the kinds of initiatives required to attract new potential candidates to the trades is taking place in Philadelphia, where Major League Baseball’s Phillies and NEST, a national facilities management firm in South Jersey, are launching the Skilled Trades All-Star Program.
Students from a local technical high school are the first students in the program, which will teach the students about aspects of stadium operations such as HVAC systems, groundskeeping, carpentry and maintenance.
NEST’s Skilled Trades Advisory Council uses industry experts from across the country to help with programs to help guide youth toward careers in trades and perhaps, ultimately, facilities careers.
The urgency for skilled trades workers is higher than ever. A recent report from Associated Builders and Contractors indicated that the construction industry needs to hire an additional 500,000 workers in 2024 to meet labor demands. The demand for such workers has spread to the facilities world, where managers are always talking about ways to attract more potential hires to facilities.
Dave Lubach is executive editor of the facilities market.
