‘Construction is Essential’: Workforce Campaign Aims to Attract Idahoans to Trade Careers
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new campaign is drawing in the next generation of construction workers by presenting the trades as a lucrative, secure way to build a career from the ground up. The “Construction is Essential” campaign, a partnership between the Associated General Contractors of America and the Idaho Associated General Contractors, launched on March 6. Idaho AGC CEO Wayne Hammon said the goal was to reach young people who may not realize the benefits of choosing a job like construction over retail or food service. “What we’re trying to sell is the vision of ‘don’t just have a job, make a career,’” he said. The construction field has not been immune to the ripple effects from the COVID-19 pandemic that have led to labor shortages in nearly every industry, according to the AGC of America. In its workforce development campaign, the group sent the message
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that the labor done by U.S. tradesmen and tradeswomen is vital to keeping the economy strong and shoring up the future of the country. AGC of America put in $15,000 of the $30,000 total cost for the Idaho ad campaign, while the Idaho AGC’s half was funded through a grant from Columbia Bank - a gift Hammon said the group was “very thankful” for. For Hammon, one of the major selling points is tradeworkers’ ability to rise through the ranks as they gain experience on the job, all without setting aside years for study. Someone with no experience at all can get their start as a helper on a construction site, then achieve the role of tradesman in six months as they learn the ropes. “After a few years, that turns into being a foreman, which turns into being a superintendent,” Hammon said. “It’s a path forward that doesn’t involve student debt, that doesn’t involve learning
