The Associated General Contractors of America<\/a> (ACG of America) reports that more than 7 million people are employed in the construction trade, and our industry builds $1.3 trillion worth of structures every year. That isn\u2019t just homes, office buildings, and retail, but also infrastructure like roads, water, clean energy, and telecommunication. In fact, plans from Federal and State governments to increase infrastructure spending in the next few years are part of the construction industry\u2019s recovery<\/a> from the economic impacts of the pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, COVID-19 impacted construction like everything else. Overall, construction is expected to remain a little slower than average in 2021 as we still figure out necessary social distancing and the supply chain gets fully running again. But we have figured it out so far\u2014and like everyone, we can\u2019t wait for more normal circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there\u2019s a longer-term challenge for construction on the horizon: a talent gap. By 2031, it\u2019s estimated that 41% of the current construction workforce<\/a> will retire. This isn\u2019t just skilled craftspeople, but also management. In the same time frame, construction job growth<\/a> is expected to reach 12%, almost double the average of other industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So the answer is\u2014yes\u2014construction is definitely still a thing. But we need to be recruiting and training the talented individuals to keep it that way. This is one reason we offer a certified construction project management course<\/a> to help people skill up and lead the industry forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2017, Builder surveyed a group of young Americans aged 18-25 about their willingness to consider construction work<\/a>. Though the findings cast a harsh misperception on our industry, they are also the reality we must deal with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of the misunderstanding is believing construction jobs are low paying, but it doesn\u2019t start and end there. Younger generations are more worried about the type of work they must do than the money they will make doing it. Taking advantage of automation in construction<\/a> to reduce the manual, repetitive jobs will allow people to perform the more specialized and interesting work. This in turn will reduce the stigma of hard manual labor that is alienating many job seekers from the construction trades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, the craft labor trades must improve our image and share the truth of our work through storytelling to attract and sustain the needed workforce. While people may not be considering building careers now, this is due to outdated ideas that we have the power to correct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Build Your Future Indiana<\/a> is a unique collaboration of employers, state agencies, and industry associations committed to encouraging Hoosiers to pursue construction craft training and careers. According to the incredible data they collect statewide, these are the most in-demand Indiana construction skills:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Craft Laborer: <\/strong>Operate hand and power tools to make projects a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Carpenter: <\/strong>Measure, cut, and shape wood, plastic, glass, and drywall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Pipefitter: <\/strong>Plan and install detailed pipe systems for water, chemicals, or gases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Electrician: <\/strong>Install and maintain electrical and power systems for facilities and devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Mason: <\/strong>Use bricks, concrete, blocks, and stones to build beautiful, lasting structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong>Millwright: <\/strong>Assemble or take apart machinery on work sites and in factories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These are just some of the craft labor trades that are needed across Indiana<\/a>. From welding to heavy machinery operation to metalworking, there are opportunities for every interest in construction, for people from all backgrounds. Plus, entry level construction jobs are always a great pathway to move up the ladder and become a leader and manager on a team, if that interests you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Darden Group LLC <\/a>is excited to be a part of the ACE Mentor Program<\/a>, with our founder Akilah Darden serving as the President of the ACE Mentor affiliate in Indianapolis. Through this program, high school students receive mentorship in Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE). The program is made up of 6 teams serving 7 Indianapolis schools: North Central, Ben Davis, Arsenal Tech, Warren Central, Decatur, and Lawrence (Central and North and McKenzie). During about 15-18 sessions per school year we have presentations on A\/C\/E, create activities based on the presentation, and then discuss the project–and of course, there\u2019s also lunch! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each year there is a master project incorporating all the ACE doctrines that the students work on throughout the months of October – May. The second week in May, students present their project, including a physical model, floor plans, a presentation, and display boards outlining their process to completion. Last year ACE Mentor Program of Indiana awarded $56k in scholarships to high school students going to college and going into the construction trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Construction is a vibrant and growing industry full of opportunities for people to work outside, develop useful skills, and even have the chance to start their own business, all without a college degree. The essential nature of our work building and maintaining the structures of society will never go away. As technology and diversity continue to expand their influence and improve our industry, there has never been a better time to get into a craft labor trade. If you\u2019re curious about Indiana apprenticeship opportunities, or have your skills and need connections to projects, contact The Darden Group LLC.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Article examining the construction industry in 2021 including the growth of construction jobs and the need for construction trades in Indiana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[20,18,21],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1045"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1048,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045\/revisions\/1048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dardengroupllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}But Do People Even Want Building Careers Anymore?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Most In-Demand Construction Jobs in Indiana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How We Are Engaging the Next Generation of Construction Talent<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Construction Trades are Here to Stay!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/dwTaBrsKodZms7MUwJJx0VyOZcQblZlolkcAZTAmoOob3Ab2zdMlRzeER7XwimsM-EZtlDx6UOtUynRr_oANrGbZWsOlwUP8PORBvL_oM_PlTdEJnN0cNzQ-ItSIIACeHu-11Ks\")