AGC of Massachusetts makes an impact with its workforce development efforts
BY KEN GARCIA
The construction industry builds America. The houses we live in. The restaurants we dine in. The roads we drive on. The hospitals where we care for the sick. The list is virtually endless. These structures are possible thanks to the dedicated men and women of the construction industry.
With an industry so vital to everyday life, thousands of projects are always needed to keep pace with the population. Those projects need — workers. However, there is an issue — a lack of workers.
According to AGC of America’s 2023 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook survey, conducted with Sage, contractors expect an ongoing worker shortage to continue while also looking forward to an increase in federal infrastructure projects. Companies are focusing more on workforce development to ensure they have the needed employees to accomplish these critical projects.
A great example of these efforts can be found at the AGC of Massachusetts (AGCMA) chapter, where Marion Jones is helping increase the workforce, including attracting more minorities and women to the industry.
“I knew that there was a need in this area, and I was eager to identify solutions,” Jones said. In construction, I quickly recognized that there were lots of opportunities that could positively change the trajectory of an individual’s life.”
Jones is the Director of Workforce Development for the chapter. This is a new position at the chapter, and she brings more than a decade of experience in workforce development.
“For me, the joy in this work is being part of something impactful and helping the industry advance,” she said. “A key part of my work is to help our association and the industry at large create pipelines to employment for individuals from underrepresented populations, including women and people of color.”
Attracting the next generation of professionals is a challenging task. No one has the right solution. But there are ways to tell the construction story and show that learning a craft can lead to a lifelong career. To make this happen, Jones takes her work to the community and engages with member companies through job fairs, internships and co-op opportunities. She believes the best employee pool can be found in a chapter member’s local community.
Jones points to companies’ innovative ideas to recruit young people by offering “field trips” to construction sites. A graduate from the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in Boston went on one of those trips and shared his experience during an advisory meeting at the school. As a student, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. After visiting the site, his vision of the future became focused, and he landed an internship, ultimately resulting in a job with the company.
“He was exposed to something new and different, and he realized, ‘Wow, this might be something that I can be a part of someday,’” Jones recalls the student saying during a meeting at the school. “This is how we create the awareness that results in real change.”
Local high schools are known resources for potential workers. Getting them into the industry does require a team between industry and education. AGCMA hosts a week-long externship for guidance counselors and teachers to expose them to the vast opportunities available within the modern construction industry and help schools create successful programs.
“We talk about the pathways into the industry. For those interested in joining right out of high school, we can connect them to an apprenticeship,” Jones said. “We are partnered with organizations that offer pre-apprenticeship programs. We are also able to eliminate barriers by providing financial support through micro-grants that have been established for individuals, including adults who are interested in commercial construction opportunities.”
Outside high schools, Jones brought a new program to AGCMA where the chapter and members “adopt” students and educate them on the various opportunities the construction industry can provide. The first groups of students adopted were fifth graders from Mattahunt Elementary School in Mattapan, a Boston neighbor-hood. Students participated in STEM-based activities and had the opportunity to hear from a young African American woman from New Orleans who decided to become an engineer after Hurricane Katrina destroyed her city when she was a little girl in 2005, showing how an incident in her life helped shape her future career.
“It’s really about creating an ecosystem of educators, administrators, parents, students, community partners,” she said. “It’s going to take all of us to move the needle and push things forward in terms of diversity and inclusion and strengthening the industry.”
The goal is to spark curiosity. To keep that spark from flaming out, Jones said, these visits are not a one-and-done deal. They will keep visiting the students right through high school. They hope to expand the program to other schools exposing more students to the construction industry.
“We’re going back in April and doing a STEM construction event for the sixth graders,” she explained. “We want to follow those sixth graders into middle school and then continue to work with them to give them even more exposure to the industry.”
Focusing on students is essential to engage the future. But there is also the existing pool of workers that AGCMA is targeting. This winter, the chapter started hosting virtual information sessions for groups like veterans and individuals who haven’t worked in a while and are looking for new opportunities.
“How do we educate veterans about the opportunities available in our industry? How do we engage and support them? How do we provide training and new skills to individuals who haven’t worked in a while so they can apply for and succeed in the positions that are available?”
The workers are out there. Jones knows this is only the beginning, and she is optimistic about the construction industry’s future.
“I think there are lots of people out there, visionaries and individuals who are as committed as I am to helping the industry with the workforce challenges it currently faces,” Jones said. “I think it’s going to take time, but with all of us working together, good changes are going to happen.”
For more information on AGCMA, visit www.agcmass.org.