An Increasing Demand for Construction Talent in Michigan – How Businesses Can Bring More to the Industry

Construction is an industry cluster that has been well defined and employs a large section of Michigan’s workforce. It offers a wide array of occupations at multiple education and training levels, many of which are high-paying and in-demand careers. The industry plays a significant role in Michigan, employing a large share of workers within each of the state’s 10 prosperity regions.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) in partnership with the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics published a series of reports this past spring to support workforce development across the state. Each report focuses on an industry or cluster. Construction businesses can look at the report and review their own talent pipeline to revise their business plan for more successful attraction and retention of employees.

Note: A deeper dive into more localized data can be achieved with Michigan Works! or your local Home Builders Association as it should be noted that Logging and Mining are classified as Construction for the purposes of the report with neither being highly represented in the Great Lakes Bay Region, therefore averages may be skewed for the region’s use.

Recruiting construction employees:

• Education barriers are low. Construction's share of workers with a high school diploma or equivalent is 1.7 percentage points greater than the share for total statewide employment. It also employs a slightly larger share of those without a high school diploma, offering a number of opportunities, including several high-paying careers, for those who do not want to pursue a postsecondary education.
• While the entry-level openings are numerous, chances to advance are widely available. With training, certifications and degrees, laborers can look forward to careers as journeymen, inspectors, project managers or engineers.
• The average salary in the Construction cluster is roughly $15,000 more than that of the total statewide employment, offering high-paying careers to those who choose to work in the industry. This is a good recruiting tool for the industry to remain competitive in the coming years.
• The Construction industry had the largest representation of active registered apprentices across any cluster in Michigan, with nearly 12,000 in 2021. Completing a registered apprenticeship often leads to a high-paying career upon completion. Construction businesses with State of Michigan-registered apprenticeship programs can greatly benefit and Michigan Works! has apprenticeship coordinators to assist.

Recruitment and retention actions:

• The industry faces a lack of racial diversity compared to the state. Businesses can look at DEI initiatives for improvement. Maintaining a workplace that respects individuals and places a high value on positive culture can help retain valuable workers.
• Investigate the equity of wage. Among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, men earn nearly $2,500 more per month than women in the industry. In fact, a woman with a bachelor’s degree or higher in the industry could expect to earn just slightly more than what a man with a high school diploma or equivalent would earn in the cluster.
• Consider younger workers. The industry also faces a lower share of employment among Michigan’s youth. Making youth more aware and providing opportunities for young talent to experience work in the construction industry is an opportunity.
• Recruit. Consider participating in high school and college career fairs, job shadowing and co-op or internship programs.

Many students will be actively seeking summer opportunities soon and a calendar of career fair events can be found below. To sign up for the Employer Talent Pipeline newsletter contact Carol McCaul, Employer Talent Pipeline Lead, at cmccaulsps@gmail.com. Carol can also assist with Job Shadowing resources and connections to partners.

The ETP webpage on STEM Pipeline has connection resources at high schools and colleges for co-ops and interns listed as work-based learning coordinators.

Get to know your relevant education partners! Simply contacting them to become part of their resource list for events and work-based learning can put you in a position to influence the hundreds of students who do not have a clue about construction opportunities. CTE Directors, Career Center Directors, Career Navigators, and an Employer Talent Pipeline Lead as well as other persons directly in touch with students are on STEM Pipeline under Business Resources. Preparing postings for summer opportunities to share is an action to be taken and shared with these people now.

Educators and Counselors: Helping Students Find a Career Path in Construction

We all know young people who demonstrate very early on that they not only get enjoyment and satisfaction from making things, but also have the natural skills to do so. These young people can often be recognized by a high interest in Lego, Kinex or other building materials, or are students who take things apart only to put them back together with improvement, or enjoy video games like Minecraft. Construction trades and careers are high-demand, high-paying opportunities for these students to know more about.

In addition to identifying students with building aptitudes, the construction industry appeals to people who like to work outdoors and enjoy variety in their work settings. The industry offers excellent opportunities for students who may not enjoy a traditional school setting and want take advantage of the wide range of apprenticeship and on-the-job training possibilities in the construction industry.

As noted above, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) in partnership with the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics published a series of reports this past spring to support workforce development across the state. Each report focuses on an industry or cluster.

In this report there are several points that demonstrate why construction careers are desirable for both students and our economy:

• Between 2011 and 2021, employment in Construction grew by 50.6 percent, well above the 7.4 percent observed for total statewide employment. Construction currently employs 316,000 individuals across the state.
• Construction has an average salary of $76,500. This is significantly greater than the average salary for total statewide employment of $61,700.
• More than half of the 25 key occupations within the Construction cluster require less than a postsecondary degree and some form of on-the-job training or an apprenticeship.
• Many of these occupations have an hourly median wage greater than that of the Construction cluster overall ($23.89) and total statewide employment ($21.73).

What can educators do:

With 25 key occupations listed in the report, ranging from those requiring a high school diploma (i.e. sheet metal workers and operating engineers) to those needing a bachelors degree (i.e. designers, engineers, and architects) it is highly likely that students are unaware of all those opportunities. Awareness and exposure to construction careers is needed.

The Construction cluster is well-represented in Michigan and covers a variety of different sectors, including (but not limited to) the construction of buildings and roads, the manufacturing of construction materials, and the wholesale of construction materials. Having a diverse set of opportunities within the cluster allows for individuals in Michigan with different educational backgrounds and skill sets to find work in the industry. Young people can begin a career path right out of high school with a livable wage and work toward a higher paying career with benefits while learning on the job.

Student research, job shadowing, and classroom presentations should cover the variety of opportunities in the industry. Ensure that students learn about construction-related CTE offerings as early as 8th and 9th grade to research and make supporting high school course decisions.

Construction is the largest apprenticeship cluster, and this held true in 2021. There were 11,978 active registered apprentices in the cluster across Michigan. Nearly all (93.6 percent) of these were in the industry of 'specialty trade' contractors.

Contacts for presentations or work-based learning opportunities:

Do you know your Career Navigator? Most districts have a Career Navigator assigned to them for these purposes. A list by county can be found at:

• STEM Pipeline under Work-based Learning Coordinators

Other resources:

• Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works
• Michigan Works Region 7B
• For more help contact Carol McCaul, Employer Talent Pipeline Lead, at cmccaulsps@gmail.com

GIRESD to Bring Unique Career Fair Opportunity to All Students in Gratiot County

Gratiot Isabella RESD is hosting a unique opportunity for all students in the county to attend a local career fair in partnership with Alma High School. With the RESD organizing the event, all schools in the county are invited to participate. The benefits to businesses are numerous including the higher volume of student interaction potential, a better return on their time, people and financial investment compared to a single school event.

The RESD has a history of commitment to local business needs. They work closely with the Central Michigan Manufacturers Association to improve talent pipelines with a major focus on CTE programs and have worked with Xello in the past to customize the student-to-business platform to focus on Gratiot and Isabella County businesses as a priority.

Career Fairs are normally restricted to one school as a host . With this format, the businesses will have access to a much higher number of students in one location. The event will be held on February 8 at Alma High School.

Kiley Kochensparger, Career Navigator for GIRESD, is predicting 700 students with all six schools committed to attendance. The Mid-Michigan Career and Recruitment Expo invitation extends to high school juniors and seniors. Kiley reasons that this age group are mature enough to take the opportunities presented seriously as they are focused on their future. The timing of the event in February is also prime for juniors and seniors who may be thinking about summer employment and/or work-based learning opportunities for the fall of 2024.

To help ensure success, Kiley, along with Jennie Arlt, GIRESD Career Navigator, are traveling to each of the schools to help prepare students for success ahead of the event regarding career fair best practices such as resume preparation and soft skills like communication and critical thinking.

Safety is a high priority. There will be roping and barriers to prevent student access outside the fair areas, a required minimum student to chaperone ratio and a larger adult presence.

There is no fee for school or business participation for this first event. Kiley indicates there have been a few more expenses than anticipated and the free opportunity may have to change for future events. Tables and chairs are being rented, lunch provided for businesses, and incentives given to students to maximize participation and protecting the gym floor are part of the budget.

Schools are generously providing transportation for students as well as box lunches where needed. It is hoped that the benefits observed with the event will inspire an increase in offerings at upcoming career fairs, such as mock interview sessions, panel discussions and/or clinics in resume writing or interviewing.

Any school or business that would like to know more about the widely increasing variety in offerings and best practices in career fairs can contact Carol McCaul, Employer Talent Pipeline Lead, at cmccaulsps@gmail.com.

Career Fair Season is on in the Great Lakes Bay Region!

It's always a great time to interact with new and local talent at local career fairs! Students make decisions regarding career or CTE programs and many obtain needed information and connections through career fairs.

Here are a few more upcoming events to check out:

Upcoming GLBR Career Fair Calendar