In November 2021, a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill was signed into law that is expected to add two million jobs per year – mostly in the construction industry – over the next decade. But with a years-long shortage of skilled workers compounded by the pandemic, these jobs will be very difficult to fill without some profound changes.
One of the main reasons for the skilled labor shortage is the singular focus placed on obtaining a college degree over the past few decades. Students are steered overwhelmingly toward college programs and away from trade schools, and this has resulted in an undeserved stigma on skilled trade jobs and a hollowing-out of the midlevel workforce sector. Parents and educators need to start promoting skilled trade jobs for what they are: viable careers offering good pay, abundant opportunities, and freedom from years of crippling student debt. Another issue contributing to the skilled labor shortage is lack of diversity. Of the nearly 11 million people employed in the construction industry, nearly 90% are white and only 11% are women. Attracting more workers from underrepresented groups will require strengthening training initiatives and increasing recruitment efforts in schools and communities.
These problems can’t be solved overnight, of course, but awareness of the need for skilled trade workers has increased over the past year due to widespread labor shortages dominating the news, so perhaps there’s hope on the horizon. This increased awareness, if combined with destigmatizing and diversifying skilled trade career paths, might mean there’s a possibility we can begin to turn this trend around someday soon.
Join the MSC Team
Business is thriving and continually growing at Mechanical Service Corporation, and as a result, we are always seeking experienced HVAC service technicians to join our outstanding organization. MSC invests substantially more time, money, and effort in technician training and equipment than any other specialist in our sector. HVAC service team members receive and participate in:
Continual technical training
State-of-the-art diagnostic tools
Monthly collaborative workshops
Vendor-sponsored training seminars and industry guest speakers
Support from on-staff engineers
Generous salary and benefits package
Applicants must be a Union Steamfitter Service Division Journeyman Technician and possess a minimum of five (5) years of hands-on experience. Visit our Careers page for details and to apply.