[Pictured from Left to Right: Brandon Silvera – Divisional Vice President; Jeff Waugh – Area Manager and Safety Committee Member; Wolf Hopen – San Bernardino Area Sales Manager; Daniel Gonzalez – San Bernardino Recruiter; Toby Copeland – CA Area Manager; Jamie Ellis – Senior Safety Manager]

The San Bernardino office completed 2019 with ZERO injuries and an overall internal audit score of 96%. A huge congratulations goes out to Wolf and Daniel for a job well done! Trillium takes safety seriously on and off the job site and we are more than proud of the work this team has been able to accomplish over the past year. Here’s to a fantastic 2019 and to keeping it up throughout 2020!

In short, this could simply mean that while record growth within the construction industry is starting to plateau, spending and activity related to projects are most likely going to stay constant through 2019 with very minimal increases in overall spending. However, there are still some key factors that indicate a change is on the horizon. Based on past events with a similarly strong economy, this level of growth and spending is simply not sustainable over a long period of time.

Chief Economist and VP of Dodge Data & Analytics, Robert Murray, believes that a even if the construction industry sees a decrease in activity that doesn’t necessarily mean that the overall state will suffer a decline. It is his belief that overall value and spending on construction starts will achieve a “deceleration…the enhanced level of activity that has been achieved over the past several years.” In essence, the construction industry may fall back to where spending and activity was at its most profitable and sustainable over the past few years; a decline but not drastic.

However, according to Cristian deRitis, the Senior Director of Moody’s Analytics, the biggest red flag indicating an economic decline is the steady but low unemployment rate. Cristian argues that, historically, “any time unemployment hovers around 4.5%, recession comes about three years later.” And, in fact, ever since March of 2018, the unemployment rate has been steadily dropping. With this information in mind, according to Moody’s Analytics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this could mean that the economy is due for a recession next summer.

In addition, it is no surprise that the desperate demand for a skilled workforce is effecting the overall health of the construction industry. In a recent survey performed by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk, 81% of those surveyed said they are having a hard time filling craft positions and 56% said the same thing about salaried positions. Where a small number of contractors are attempting to sustain through the labor shortage, the overall problem is that economists agree that is a problem that isn’t going away overnight. Only time will tell how much the construction industry will be able to retain this level of productivity through a long-term labor shortage and consistent low unemployment rates. However, all signs seem to point to 2019 remaining steady and profitable.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

What seems to be the most evident reasons for the skills gap? According to a study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute who surveyed leading manufacturing Executives, the 3 major contributing factors are as follows:

1. Shifting skill sets due to new advanced technology and automation
2. Negative perception of manufacturing companies and positions by students and their parents
3. Increased levels of Baby Boomers retiring

What can companies do to combat these factors? Truthfully, it needs to start with potential job seekers understanding the facts behind a career in manufacturing and companies taking a stand in dispelling all too common myths. As technology seems to be taking over everywhere we look, the major myth that people tend to believe is that manufacturing is a dying industry full of monotonous work in dirty, outdated facilities where it can be hard to make a true living. While those that work in the industry know that this is, for the most part, not even close to the truth, it can be extremely difficult to convince whole generations of parents and job seekers otherwise. Now, let’s talk about what a career in manufacturing could really look like.

• Manufacturing jobs can, in fact, pay well. According to Manufacuturing.net, on average manufacturing jobs can earn up to $84,000 per year including pay and benefits. In fact, 92% of manufacturing employees were eligible for full health benefits in 2015, which is about a 15% higher average than all other firms. The good part for students is that many manufacturers offer entry-level positions that allow employees to work their way up, improving their skill sets and increasing their pay along the way.
• Increased technological advancement doesn’t have to mean that manufacturing positions are being replaced. This simply means that old, outdated machinery is becoming easier and more cost efficient to replace and use. This, in turn, means that manufacturing employees are able to use higher quality equipment, programs, software, etc., in an effort to increase efficiency and, ultimately, profits.
• Manufacturing is not dying! In fact, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), for ever $1 spent in manufacturing, another $1.89 is added to the overall economy. This is highest multiplier effect of any economic sector.
• The manufacturing industry is literally going to have more jobs available than they know what to do with in the next 10 years. It is estimated that there will be more than 3.5 million available jobs in this specific sector alone with 2 million expected to go unfilled.

With all of that said, the only thing standing between companies and finding skilled talent is getting the truth out! Manufacturing leaders need to start from the ground up with recruiting talent. More emphasis should be put on enlightening students, their parents, and counselors on the ever present availability of career options in the manufacturing industry. The labor shortage isn’t going to go away on it’s own and unless something is done to discredit the years of misconceptions and myths regarding a career in manufacturing, the industry itself could start to struggle which could have a very detrimental effect on the economy overall.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

What is our best line of defense right now, in the middle of the chaos? Simple, across the board, the average hourly earnings in the construction industry are higher than the average of all private sector positions (excluding farming) by over 10%! Not to mention that a large majority of construction trades do not require a college degree, this should be a fairly easy sell, right? Unfortunately, that is proving to not be the case.

The conversation regarding skilled trades opportunities has to start before today’s youth hits the workforce. This information needs to be getting in front of parents, guidance counselors, educational leaders, and the students themselves at a younger age. There seems to be a miss-conception and stigma attached to positions in the construction industry, that they may not be able to make a living wage. This couldn’t farther from the truth as James Haas, a learning coordinator with Capital Region Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) reiterates.

“We’ve got to get mom and dad, we’ve got to get the guidance counselors, we’ve got to get the kids to understand that it’s not always a baccalaureate degree (that’s necessary),” Haas said. “Laborers are making real, living wages, that have good benefits, that have a Monday through Friday work schedule. And they’re probably making $1500 a week.”

BOCES has been partnering with school districts for over 70 years in an attempt to better garner and promote evolving and necessary educational programs. For more information on how you or school district can get involved with BOCES, please visit their website at www.boces.org.

This could and should be powerful information that needs to be getting in front of families and educational institutions. We all need to keep in mind that the shortage of workers in the skilled trades industry ultimately can affect everyone in the economy. The shortage can lead to public and private sector construction projects taking longer, costing more money and in the end stunting overall economic growth. It is up to all of us, including our educational system to once again get students excited about the skilled trades industry. There are and will continue to be excellent skilled trades opportunities out there, just waiting for the next generation to step in and take the charge.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Currently, there is only one tradesman entering the workforce for every 5 that retire. With 73% of construction firms planning to expand their headcount throughout 2017, this leaves the industry in a continued shortage for qualified talent. The Associated General Contractors of America reported that construction firms added employees over the past year at nearly double the rate of the overall economy. In June alone, the industry added 16,000 jobs across the country.

The shortage of talent comes from a number of factors including:

• Fewer apprenticeship programs
• Fewer trade/vocational programs
• A much faster rate of talent leaving the industry than joining it
• The number of tradesmen who left the industry during the recession and sought other professions
• Growing number of construction projects across the nation

The talent shortage has caused contractors to delay job completions, pay costly overtime, hire under-skilled staff and offer per diem options to attract non-local workers to their projects.

Hiring inexperienced workers can result in costly mistakes, injuries and delays to schedules. Trillium Construction Services specializes in recruiting skilled trades and construction management talent for long term and short term hiring needs across the country. With more than 30 years of experience, Trillium is ranked the 24th Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the nation, hiring more than 40,000 employees each year in all 50 states. Whether your need for talent ranges from Project Management through Journeyman or Apprentice level tradesmen, Trillium can provide you with the talent needed to meet project deadlines and expectations. Contact us today at www.trilliumconstruction.net.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, and Trillium Techs. With approximately 90 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2015 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

First and foremost, you must have the right talent in place to lead and operate your organization. As an industry leader since 1984, Trillium has consistently proven our ability to identify, locate, and secure the industry’s top talent in each of our markets nationwide. Understanding that the industry’s best talent may be outside of your current market has been a crucial part of our ability to provide our clients with the best workforce solutions available, not just in their own backyard.

We take the same approach when hiring for our own internal staff. As leaders in the construction staffing industry, we hire only the best and most experienced Project Managers to assist our clients in locating skilled trades talent. We are always eager to speak with leaders in the industry to discuss career opportunities within our organization. Hiring not only when there is a vacancy but more importantly, when the right talent is available to us. As the construction and skilled trades industry continues to grow in 2015, we are looking forward to another great year for our organization and are looking for industry experienced professionals who are interested in joining a dynamic and growing organization.

If you or someone that you recognize as a leader in the construction industry, are looking for a career opportunity with a great existing client base, a competitive compensation package, excellent growth opportunities, and a strong name in the industry we want to hear from you! Click here to begin a career within the Trillium team!

Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of top level talent? Contact us today! If you are a stand out in your profession and seeking contingent or long term career opportunities, visit our job seekers section for more information!

Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.