Trade Associations Announce Strategic Partnership to Fight Labor Shortage

08 Mar Trade Associations Announce Strategic Partnership to Fight Labor Shortage

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –The Indiana Builders Association, the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation and the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis (BAGI) have formed a strategic partnership in order to assist in recruiting a skilled workforce in the construction and building trades. The three-year partnership, coined Build Your Future Indiana, comes in an effort to create awareness and resources that attract young workers to commercial, residential and road building industries.

“A shortage of skilled labor is one of the most prominent challenges facing our industry today,” says Rick Wajda, Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana Builders Association.

Currently, Indiana has reported an average of over 3,000 annual job openings in construction and similar fields. The state projects that by 2024 there will be over 30,300 construction trade jobs to be filled.

Build Your Future Indiana works to fight the skilled labor shortage by curating career information from professionals industry-wide to highlight key aspects and opportunities for each trade career path.  This information has been developed into an interactive career match quiz online and comprehensive resources that are currently being delivered face to face by invested industry professionals at career fairs and schools.

“This collaborative effort aims to eliminate misconceptions about careers in this industry and emphasize that there are many paths that the next generation of potential workers can maximize in order to find success,” says Steve Lains, Chief Executive Officer of the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

“It’s time that students become informed of all the career paths available to them, not just traditional four-year degree plans,” says Chris Price, President of Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation.

Through the program, trade professionals will work to spread awareness about the vast amount of employment opportunities available in construction and other trades. Local employers, associations and schools are encouraged to conduct job fairs, panel discussions and local community events to inform students of the benefits of choosing a career path in skilled trade industries.

The construction industry is one of the nation’s largest industries, employing more than 5 million individuals in the United States. Parents, teachers, counselors and students are encouraged to take a close look at the rewarding opportunities available in construction.  The programs created through this unique partnership will help everyone understand that there are various ways to enter the industry, ranging from vocational/on-the-job training to four-year degrees, that all lead to satisfying careers and financial success.

For more information on Build Your Future Indiana, please visit the webpage at www.indiana.byf.org/Quiz and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram by following @BYFIndiana.

About the Indiana Builders Association

The Indiana Builders Association (IBA) is a statewide trade organization representing Indiana’s home building, remodeling and light commercial construction industry. Established in 1952, IBA has 25 local affiliates organized into eight geographic areas across Indiana. IBA, along with its affiliates, are associated with the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C. The organization works to educate its members, the general public, elected officials and regulatory bodies to maintain and develop workable and affordable regulations and laws that enable the citizens of Indiana to own a home. More information can be found at www.buildindiana.org.

About the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis

The Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis is a professional trade association representing residential homebuilders, remodelers and supplies in the nine-county metro area. For more information, call 317-236-6330; or visit www.BAGI.com.

About the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation

The Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation is dedicated to bettering Indiana and Indiana’s construction industry. The first program that was created to address the future of Indiana’s workforce is Build Your Future Indiana. Build Your Future Indiana’s goal is to get more young people interested in the construction world and to educate students and their influencers about all of the amazing opportunities available through the construction industry.