The Texas Association of Builders developed this website landing page for its local Home Builders Associations, executive officers and member advocates to use as a blueprint for developing Texas’ construction trades workforce.

Residential Construction – A Professional Career Choice

·        The shortage of skilled workers in the building industry is a critical issue. In 2012, 21 percent of home builders experienced a labor shortage. 56 percent of home builders reported a shortage in 2016, and that number grew to 63 percent in 2017

·        The residential construction community must become an advocate for its industry by beginning to educate young people – at least as early as the 8^th grade – on the professional career opportunities that exist in construction.

·        Educators want to be able to direct their students toward meaningful career choices and employment. In Texas, occupations that require an Associate Degree or vocational certificate pay an average of more than $37,000 a year, compared to the average pay of less than $25,000 for those with only a high school diploma or less.

  

An Aging Workforce and Population Growth

·        For every three tradesmen who retire, there is only one skilled person entering the workforce to fill their boots. Our craft professionals – carpenters, plumbers, electricians and masons, for example – are on average 60 years old. As they retire, the home building industry needs skilled workers to take their place.

·        20 percent of skilled workers in the construction industry have retired or left the industry in the last decade.

·       With the population of the State of Texas projected to double by 2050, Texas will need thousands of homes to house these residents. And, we need skilled professionals to build these homes.

(VIDEO) January 2021 
The U.S. Doesn't Have Enough Construction Workers — and That's a Problem for Everyone

The U.S. is facing a shortage of construction workers and tradespeople — and the problem will only get worse as more Baby Boomers retire. The shortfall is driven by an American education system that steers students to college and a culture that devalues careers in the trades. And if you think this doesn’t affect you, think again. As the cost of construction work goes up, everyone’s bank accounts will suffer.

  

RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

The following are valuable resources, documents and website links that are designed to assist you in helping improve our workforce developement in Texas.  

 

Prewritten Letters

Draft letter for Home Builders Associations to use to introduce our industry to school administrators, CTE professionals, community leaders and other interested parties. Draft Letter in PDF format

 

Hosting a Career Fair

San Antonio High School Career Fair, watch video.  

 

Career Fair Contest Blueprints 

How to Host a Construction Career Day

Most construction career day events include multiple contractors from the area (or even the state) and give students exposure to many of the different construction trade jobs available to them. Build Your Future (BYF) has created a packet to provide guidance on how to plan, organize and execute a construction career day. It also provides a wide variety of resources including exploring careers in contruction and how to get involved.

Document: How to Plan a Career Day (PDF)

Document: Signing Up Students for the Construction Trades Editorial (PDF)

Building Sequence Power Point Presentation

This power point presentation can be shown to students, organizations, or on a loop at a Career Fair.

This document shows:

1.     Construction sequence of a home from start to finish

2.     Earning income potential in residential construction

3.     The critical demand for residential employment in Texas

 

 

Developing a Community Partnership

The Texas Association of Builders’ “Developing a Community Partnership” includes what HBAs are doing around the state to develop and enhance construction trades programs.

 

Texas Education Agency’s School District Locator

The Texas School District Locator (SDL) provides basic information for Texas schools, districts, and education service centers (ESCs) in map format. It also provides school district information, district accountability ratings, and enrollment and performance reports in text format.

 

Local Workforce Solutions Boards

This PDF provides you with a list of the Texas Workforce Commission Development Board of Directory.

 

Other Resources Include: 

Texas CTE Resource Center Architecture and Construction Career Cluster  

Texas Wages & Employment Projections

Texas Workforce Commission Eligible Training Provider System 

Texas Education Agency’s Industry-Based Certification for Public School Accountability

 

Based on discussion with executive officers, the list of links and resources will be adjusted for ease of use and applicability.

PUBLICIZING YOUR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS - VIDEOS

Here are some great videos that will provide you with inspiration to showcase the construction training programs in your area. As you can see, they don’t have to be long or scripted and can be easily and inexpensively produced. Many high schools have broadcast journalism classes or the equivalent that would be willing to produce these videos as student projects. Student and CTE professionals testimonials are key!

Construction Careers Academy (CCA) is the premier magnet school in Northside Independent School District in San Antonio that prepares students for careers in the construction industry. The mission of CCA “is to provide an advanced and rigorous curriculum with a focus on construction technology, construction management, architectural design, applied engineering and real-world experience that will prepare students for studies in higher education and/or a career in a construction-related industry." View the video here: https://youtu.be/5qDAqWRiTT4

A shorter version television commercial (:45 seconds) titled “Construction Careers Academy”, from the longer piece. This commercial began airing on the show in San Antonio in mid-October and began last week in Houston. We’re also including it in all the DFW and Austin shows through the end of the year. We anticipate that the total number of people that will see the CCA commercial will and we’ve aired this commercial in both the Hot On! Homes shows in DFW, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin will be between 1-1.5 million. This video is also posted on YouTube, and it has been viewed 16 times. View the shorter version of the video here: https://youtu.be/Ks3ps4-ZvLs

Student testimonials featuring four CCA student interviews. Here are links to those student interview/testimonials:
Annellise Chavez  
Construction Careers Academy - David Juarez 
Construction Careers Academy – A. Chavez 
Construction Careers Academy - Luke Burk 
Construction Careers Academy - Baby Blue Rodriguez

Thank you to Don Klein, Past President Greater Houston BA, and his team at Chesmar Homes for their help and dedication to promoting careers in the home building industry. 

 

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