Springfield Business Journal_2021-06-07

WATCH THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE STORIES #BizinMotion HOW TO Amy Susan TRENDING Elizabeth Hurst EXPERIENCE Sandy Higgins STARTUP Andrea Petersberg LIFE Becky Thomas INSPIRE Caleb Scott uncertain how many projects that involves. “We’re upfront and honest with these guys. We’re working with developers and general contractors every day.” In the Springfield area alone, Emery Sapp & Sons is around 30 workers short of being fully staffed, he said. That’s down slightly from its shortage of nearly 40 employees around a month ago. The Springfield branch, which also includes a Springdale, Arkansas, office, employs around 160, he said. The company employee count is roughly 1,500. “Getting those new guys in the door has become increasingly more difficult as time has gone on,” he said. On course The OTC course is designed to teach students basic construc- tion skills, such as beginner car- pentry, use of hand tools, safety rules, and installation of interior and exterior finishes. Students who complete the course will earn a 10-hour construction certificate from the Occupational Safety and Health Admin- istration, according to school officials. Higdon said demand for the course, which will be at the construction lab inside OTC’s Lincoln Hall on the Springfield campus, was immediate. It’s set to run June 7-July 1. “There’s a lot more people wanting in than we have space for right now,” he said. “I was worried people wouldn’t sign up even though there’s no cost. Session one filled up the day we opened it.” Because of the high interest, a second session was added July 12-Aug. 5, said OTC spokesperson Mark Miller, noting two seats were added to accommodate 20 students per class. Officials say the course also may roll out this summer on the Hollister campus. The median salary for graduates with a construction technology degree is nearly $68,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of La- bor Statistics. Higdon said the combined cost of the two sessions is around $200,000. He estimates roughly 90% will be covered by the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, with the remainder paid by OTC. Industry demand also led OTC to offer two sections of its 20-week Industrial Weld- ing Specialist course for the fall 2021 semester. Students who graduate from the program earn a welding technology certificate of achievement and 34 credit hours, which a student can apply toward an associate de- gree in welding technology. Graduates of the program are prepared to work in the stainless steel and aluminum welding industries. Struggles persist Landwehr said OTC isn’t alone in pro- grams aimed to draw people to construction jobs. State Technical College of Missouri also has a program that targets students interest- ed in becoming heavy equipment operators. The worker shortage is a national trend that industry representatives don’t expect to end anytime soon, as struggles persist to get people to consider construction careers. According to survey results released in Janu- ary by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage Construction and Real Estate, 54% of firms report difficulty finding qualified workers to hire, either to expand headcount or replace departing staff. And 49% expect it will either get harder, or re- main as hard, to find qualified workers this year. Construction industry em- ployment remained unchanged at 7.45 million jobs in April, ac- cording to an Associated Build- ers and Contractors analysis of data released last month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statis- tics. The construction unem- ployment rate fell from 8.6% in March to 7.7% in April. Unem- ployment across all industries was 6.1%. Emery Sapp & Sons has incen- tives in place, such as employee referral bonuses, Landwehr said, adding roughly 15 have been handed out in Springfield this year. “We’ve talked about a sign-on bonus but haven’t implemented it,” he said. “Our work- force development branch is constantly re- viewing the different things we can do to attract employees.” Building resources At the SCA, workforce development is top of mind, said Executive Director Megan Short. “Material shortages and workforce struggles are two conversations that come up in almost every single meeting we have,” she said. “We’re devoting a lot of our resources specifically to workforce development right now.” One resource is the organization’s new website targeted for high school students, BuildTheOzarks.com. Short said the web- site’s March launch was the culmination of 18 months of work. Declin- ing to disclose SCA’s financial investment, she said the site includes testimonial videos from industry professionals, an interactive career path- way model and links to higher education and apprenticeship programs. SCA hired ADsmith Marketing & Advertising for the videos and Hightide Com- munications LLC, a division of SBJ Publishing Inc., for the website. “We want to continue to build it, so we have more resources,” Short said. “It’s just at a starting point.” While SCA’s one-day construction show- case, Build My Future, was canceled this year and last amid the coronavirus pandemic, a new program is about to make its debut. Build U is a four-day summer program designed to give high school students an overview of op- portunities in the construction industry. “We’re trying to touch on as many trades as we can in four days,” Short said, noting the program includes learning labs and job site tours. “It’s going to be a whirlwind but it’s a great opportunity for high school students that are interested in learning more.” Hiring: Worker shortages persist nationwide Continued from page 1 Hal Higdon: New construction program is a response to industry demand. Megan Shor t: SCA’s Build U program will debut in August. 20 · SBJ.NET JUNE 7-13, 2021 FROM THE COVER