Home Builders’ Labor Shortage Will Loosen Up

The Commerce Department reports that housing starts have risen to their highest level since 2006. At the same time home builders have struggled to keep up due to shortages in workers and supplies. Most home builders report that they are limiting how much they build due to these shortages.

One of the significant shortages is in construction workers. That’s where BuildStrong Academy comes in. They are an industry-funded nonprofit that plans to open schools to train construction workers. They plan to have schools in 20 cities in the next 15 years. They plan to have three new chapters by 2024, they are in Charlotte, Phoenix and Houston. They will be funded by local builders, private doners and other nonprofits.

The school provides an initial course that trains in construction basic and skills. It is free for students. After that they can get a basic construction job and take more courses or enter apprenticeships.

Many workers left the construction field during the housing crash. As demand for new homes has increased, training of new workers has not kept up. This program is designed to help fill that void.