Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
BEDFORD – High school students and the public will get a chance to explore job opportunities in the union construction industry at the StoneGate Skilled Trades Showcase Nov. 21.
The event will take place at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds Expo Hall from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public will have access from 2 to 4 p.m. The event’s purpose is to bring career awareness to young people and adults interested in construction skilled trades and help them find out about apprenticeships and training.
Linda Henderson, executive director of StoneGate, said 17 school corporations have registered to bring about 600 students. StoneGate hosted the first Skilled Trades Showcase in downtown Bedford in 2023. Henderson said the growth of the event and more space for hands-on demonstrations prompted her decision to move it from StoneGate to the fairgrounds.
“When we talk about economic development, a job in the skilled trades allows many people to break the glass ceiling economically,” Henderson said. “Those jobs provide good wages, insurance and 401(k) plans.”
In 2023, students from 11 school corporations in seven counties took part in the Skilled Trades Showcase.Â
The skilled trades are experiencing a labor shortage. Nationally, almost half of the construction workforce is expected to retire by 2031, but less than 8% of high school graduates and just 14% of college graduates are pursuing careers in construction.
The labor force shortage has been developing for decades. Beginning around the 1960s, high schools and parents urged students to pursue a college education. A stigma around blue collar work also developed. Add to this an aging workforce, and today the construction industry is facing a major labor shortage.
According to Forbes, the construction industry is projected to need more than 500,000 additional workers annually to meet demand. The automotive sector similarly requires about 100,000 new skilled technicians each year. Trade jobs in construction, plumbing and HVAC are among the highest-paying today, with annual mean wages of $83,880 for carpenters and $93,080 for plumbers, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Showcase sponsors are StoneGate, Duke Energy, Ivy Tech Community College, Work One South Central and Built to Succeed – IN Careers in Construction.
For more information, contact Henderson via email: [email protected] or 812-279-8126.