Last week, ABC NH/VT held a reception to welcome students and contractors participating in our 2nd Vermont Commercial Craft Apprenticeship class which begins Nov. 17 2023.

The construction industry added 23,000 jobs on net in October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has increased by 219,000 jobs, an increase of 2.8%.

National Apprenticeship Week, Nov. 13-19, reminds us that apprenticeships are the best way to set yourself up for success from Day 1, and America should treat them as such.

It takes courage to address uncomfortable topics, but Jennifer Landon, VP of Education and Workforce Development is up for the challenge. Landon recently presented “Grief: A Hidden Safety Risk” at the Women in Safety Conference at Keene State College. “Grief is a natural and normal response to loss, but it can be a complex and often misunderstood emotion. Grief messes with our brains and our bodies," says Landon. 

According to a state-by-state analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors, New Hampshire has the lowest unemployment in New England, at 1.8%. The next lowest state is Vermont with 2.1%. 

Associated Builders and Contractors member contractors invested more than $1.5 billion to provide nearly 1.3 million course attendees with craft, leadership and safety education in 2022, according to its 2023 Workforce Development Survey, down from $1.6 billion in 2021. The annual assessment quantifies the scope of ABC members’ workforce development initiatives to advance their employees’ careers in commercial and industrial construction to build the places where Americans live, work, learn, heal and play.

ABC president Joshua Reap sat down with Mike Morin on WFEA to talk about the career opportunities available with NH contractors. 

The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 546,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2023 to meet the demand for labor, according to a proprietary model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors.

The Vermont ABC CCA program is continuing its success of enhancing the expertise of current workers. Recently the CCA class training involved harness skills,  enabling the students to reach new heights on construction projects.  The Vermont session classes take place on Wednesdays in Burlington, and demonstrates ABC’s ongoing commitment to provide value to its members.    

Hispanics consisted of 30% of the construction workforce in the United States, according to 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, 46.7% of construction laborers in the United States are Hispanic. These statistics show that it is of ever-increasing importance to learn what is important and motivating to Hispanics/Latinos as they become a critical part of the construction industry and workplace.