Recent Study Provides Best Practices for Recruiting, Training + Retaining Women in Building Trades

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The residential construction industry is battling a severe talent shortage. To help the industry win this battle, Building Talent Foundation partnered with two Research Fellows to study the barriers women face when pursuing skilled trades careers. The resulting research paper, Women Breaking Barriers: A Guide to Recruiting, Training and Retaining Women in the Residential Construction Trades, explores how the industry can strengthen the workforce by tapping into an underused source of skill and expertise — women. The report reveals the construction sector is dominated by males, with women making up just 10.9% of its workers, and representing only 3.4% of … Read more

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Construction Firms Foresee Growing Demand for Most Project Types, Reports AGC

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Construction contractors expect increasing demand for numerous types of projects in 2022 despite ongoing supply chain and labor challenges, as most firms plan to add workers this year, according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage. The findings are detailed in Expecting Growth While Coping with the Lingering Impacts of the Pandemic: The 2022 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook. “Contractors are, overall, very optimistic about the outlook for the construction industry in 2022,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO. “While contractors face challenges this year, most of those will be centered on … Read more

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Construction Industry Outlook 2022 E-Book Available

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After a challenging couple of years, the economy is on the mend. Growth is projected into 2022 as total starts are estimated to reach 6% to $946 billion. This e-book explores the following core sectors: • Residential construction: Single-family and multi-family housing • Commercial construction: Retail stores, warehouses, offices and hotels • Institutional building: Education, healthcare, transportation, recreation and public buildings • Manufacturing construction • Nonbuilding construction: Streets and bridges, environmental/ water public works, electric power/utilities and other non-building Get the latest forecasts and insights.

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The UP Companies Hires Joe Hunsucker as Square UP Operations Manager in Kansas City

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The UP Companies has hired Joe Hunsucker as Square UP operations manager at its Kansas City, Kansas office. In his new position, Hunsucker is responsible for leading and managing all field staff, promoting and enforcing company processes and all field training programs, monitoring workmanship on projects, ensuring the delivery of materials and equipment to jobsites and managing labor costs, among other duties. Prior to Square UP, Hunsucker worked four years as a superintendent for JE Dunn and spent more than 20 years with E&K where he started as an apprentice carpenter and advanced to foreman, superintendent and senior operations manager. … Read more

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Material Prices Soar 20% in 2021, Most Contractors in Association Survey List Costs as Top Concern in 2022, Reports AGC

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Prices of construction materials jumped nearly 20% in 2021 despite moderating in December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data. Association officials said contractors rate materials costs as a top concern for 2022, according to a survey predicting the industry’s outlook for the industry the association just released. “Costs may not rise as steeply in 2022 as they did last year but they are likely to remain volatile, with unpredictable prices and delivery dates for key materials,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “That volatility can be as hard to cope with … Read more

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