Construction jobs return

High school students from St. Johns County visited Nocatee last week to check out the latest expansion, one that includes the tallest water slide in Northeast Florida. But they weren’t there to take a ride.

The group, which included about 90 students from St. Johns, Clay and Putnam counties, was there to learn more about a construction industry that desperately needs their help.

“The construction industry is experiencing a labor shortage,” said Karin Tucker Hoffman, president/CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Florida First Coast Chapter. “More than 80 percent of ABC members report having trouble finding appropriately skilled labor.”

According to Hoffman, the construction industry has been struggling to find enough skilled workers since the Great Recession when thousands of workers left the field and didn’t come back when the economy rebounded. Other factors including retiring Baby Boomers and the tendency of high school students to pursue college degrees instead of entering the workforce has also contributed to the shortage, Hoffman said.

According to Build Your Future, a website that tracks the nationwide demand for construction jobs, some of the most in-demand jobs in Florida over the next three years include carpenter (120,000 jobs projected), craft laborer (118,000), mason (38,000) and pipefitter (33,000). Average pay for carpenters and masons nationwide is about $54,000, according to the website. Hoffman said there are job openings in nearly every field.

“The goal of the trip to Nocatee was just about educating the students and their parents,” Hoffman said. “A lot of them don’t understand the type of career opportunities exist.”

The Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) is also doing its part to attract younger workers. The association sponsors a four-year apprenticeship training for local students in carpentry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing.

At Pedro Menendez High School, the school’s Academy of Architecture and Building Sciences helps students get entry-level jobs in Architectural Drafting or Building Construction Technology. According to Emily Harrison, Director of Career and Technical Academies, there are currently 234 students in the academy.

Students who have finished the program have reported being hired after graduation with companies for AutoCAD and electrical work.

Harrison said there are no plans to expand the program, but Hoffman said she would like to see more examples of academies like the one at Pedro Menendez in the years to come to give students more options to pursue a jobs in an industry that is showing no signs of slowing down, especially in St. Johns County.

“There are outstanding career opportunities with great pay and great benefits right out of high school can lead to well paying careers like business ownership and management roles,” Harrison said. “Four years after high school you are debt free making a competitive wage.”