Kansas State University Undergraduate Research Conference

Improving the Shortage of Skilled Workers in the Construction Industry

The goal of this project was to research ways the construction industry is improving the shortage of skilled workers. The research objective is to identify through literature search ways by which the construction industry enhances skilled laborers. Skilled construction workers are declining, making it a competition among construction companies to find these workers. The recession, immigration challenges, and the lack of training programs are the main causes for the decline in skilled workers. The research was gathered from literature reviews of the shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry. The literature reviews show the need for skilled workers has increased a considerable amount since the recession, and construction companies are improving the shortage in various ways. The shortage of skilled workers is due to the massive loss of construction jobs during the recession. In the short term, wages will rise which will cause some workers to reenter the industry. Another problem getting skilled workers is immigration challenges. Immigrants make up a quarter of the overall construction workforce, and with stricter bans it has become increasingly hard for workers to work in America. Additionally, firms are using prefabrication to efficiently build parts offsite reducing the need for qualified workers. By boosting the shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry, growth and improvement will be trends across the industry.