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June 28, 2022 | Around the NASRCC

Carpenters Host Workforce Development Discussion


Albany Recruitment Breakfast

Across the country, the demand for construction labor is continuing to grow – and the supply is continuing to dwindle. While most industries are affected by labor shortages, the trades have been hit especially hard. That’s why more than 140 people – including contractors (union and nonunion), legislators, educators, and construction industry stakeholders gathered at the Carpenters facility in Albany to have a conversation about cooperative efforts to promote opportunities in the skilled trades.

While higher education is often seen as the only route into the American middle class, it is accompanied by the high cost of tuition and fees, as well as enduring massive college loan debt for the majority of students. For young men and women, there has never been a better time to start a career in the building trades industry which offers excellent alternatives to achieving upward mobility and economic security.

“There is a prevailing notion in this country that started many years ago that graduating high school students, in order to be successful in life, must go to college. There is another path. And, that path is equal to the traditional college path, and in many cases, a superior option for the individual student,” said Christopher Dugan, Business Manager of the North Atlantic States.

“The construction industry offers career opportunities that provide good wages and excellent benefits, comparable to or better than many jobs in the white-collar business sector. It’s hard work but these jobs come without the burden of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt. In fact, most careers in the construction industry start in the form of earn while you learn.”

Thank you to our partners who participated in this event, and the elected officials who spoke on this important topic including Assemblymembers Carrie Woerner, Patricia Fahy, John T. McDonald, Mary Beth Walsh, Jake Ashby, Phil Steck and Senator Michelle Hinchey. Partnerships like this play a key role in advancing and maintaining our union’s vision for generations that follow us.

For more information on employment opportunities within the NASRCC, please visit https://www.nasrcc.org/members/how-to-join/