As fewer and fewer individuals apply for apprenticeships within the construction trades, our industry faces a potentially difficult future. According to the Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) February 23, 2022 news release, one in five construction workers will retire in approximately five years. With a decline of 8% in the 25-54 age range of new workers, our industry today needs 650,000 workers in 2022 and an additional 590,000 new workers in 2023 to meet the demand.
What can we do? Shannon Construction and many other General Contractors relied on the expertise of our tradesmen and women. They decided to help bring attention to the numerous career opportunities provided by our Unions. Dean of College and Career Readiness Leyna Steffen, from Peters Township High School, also recognized an opportunity for both her students and the students across the North and South Hills of Pittsburgh, PA.
Approximately 40 organizations welcomed high school students and parents from across the North and South Hills – and a few from the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, to the South Hills Trades and Tech Fair at Peters Township High School. Shannon Construction’s goal for the event was to share information, possibilities, and opportunities with a new generation of future tradesmen and women.
Shawn Bulsak, Shannon Superintendent, and Matt Miller, Shannon carpenters apprentice, regaled students and parents with their personal experiences from beginning their apprenticeships to problem-solving on project sites. Thank you, Shawn and Matt, for your dedication to your trade, Shannon Construction, and for growing the future of carpenters.
The construction industry depends upon those who create the magic, taking the blank canvas to impeccable art appreciated for years into the future. And that’s exactly how the carpenters of Shannon Construction view their integral role in building for the future. “It’s an exciting career where I can express my creative and artistic side. This job is more than just swinging a hammer,” according to John Burton, 40 years in the trade. Both Roy Newcamp and Mike Cataldo (six and four years respectively in the industry) indicated similar thoughts, and both mentioned that what they do day in and day out requires an eye to detail and an eye for the art of the process. “Seeing a project go from nothing to a finished job, it’s like art.” — Roy Newcamp.
Interestingly, what these three carpenters enjoy most about their profession is precisely what the average person would not know about it. Carpenters are some of the first on a job site to begin demolition work and one of the last trades on site to finish a project. “We’re always thinking and planning outside of the typical 40 hours a week,” said Burton, who after 40 years, “still has a fire in [his] heart to keep coming out to do [his] job.” Newcamp, a newer foreman for Shannon Construction, “carpenters are always learning something new, even if it’s the smallest of things.”
Pride apparent in both their trade and their work the common theme, John, Mike, and Roy certainly agreed that taking a chance in the carpentry industry would not disappoint. Skills learned in the classroom and on the job site apply directly to everyday life. The work can prove challenging, from planning a schedule, materials, manpower to working and communicating with subs, clients, and owners. Guess what? They enjoy it.
