Building the Workforce: Sarah Sladek and XYZ University Announce Training Partnership With Build Cal
Every day, the shortage in the skilled trades becomes more acute. The trades lost nearly a million skilled workers during the recession that have yet to be replaced, and as older workers retire, the crunch will get even tighter. Combined with the changes in education that eliminated trades training from schools, we have experienced the perfect storm that threatens to leave the skilled trades industry with a severe worker shortage in the years to come.
The need to engage young talent in construction has never been greater, and at XYZ University, we’re dedicated to changing the future of the industry.
We’re pleased to announce XYZ University is a key partner for the Build California initiative launching this month. Led by Associated General Contractors of California, Build California is a comprehensive workforce development initiative created to inspire, engage, and activate the next generation of California’s construction workforce.
The primary goal of the program is to increase the number of construction professionals, and XYZ University will fill a critical role by being the training provider. Our employee engagement and workforce development insights will help companies retain the workforce they have while simultaneously preparing for the arrival of and recruiting the participation of Gen Z workers.
By working alongside Build California, we plan to substantially increase the number of construction workers trained in California (491 last year) in the areas of employee engagement, teamwork, and leadership development.
The timing of this announcement aligns perfectly with XYZ University’s Scary Stats campaign. Since 2013, our firm has celebrated Halloween by reporting on the scariest workforce stats. The spotlight has been on the construction industry in recent years, especially considering these ‘scary stats’:
3% of 18 to 25-year-olds are interested in pursuing construction as a career;
20% of all construction workers will retire within the next 10 years;
80% of construction companies can’t find the workers they need.
There is work to be done, but we are optimistic about the future. Build California is a great start. Last year AGC of California reached more than 5,000 high school students through its career and trades days and industry partners raised $85,000 for AGC scholarships. They are already dedicated to workforce development and by working together via Build California, we’ll scale these efforts forward further, faster.
XYZ University’s mission is to help organizations future-proof, engage talent, and compete in an ever-changing market. As a result of working with us, organizations worldwide have reduced turnover, developed leaders, grown membership, and seized market share among younger generations. We’re honored to be a part of the Build California movement, and we’re expecting other organizations follow suit.
Talent is our nation’s greatest asset. Talent is the heart and soul of every organization and developing that talent has become more urgent and important than ever. We must take action to innovate, embrace change, and move our organizations into this next century.
At AGC of California and XYZ University we aren’t just dreaming about the future, we’re building it. Join us.