Six-hundred fifty thousand. That’s the number of skilled trades workers the construction industry needs to hire just to keep up with the current backlog. In the grand scheme of the American workforce, it may not sound like a lot, but when you consider the fact that not even 20% of Gen Zers—the newest generation in the workforce—say they would even entertain the idea of a career in the trades, it suddenly becomes quite daunting. In an industry historically slow to adopt the latest technology, how can contractors entice the tech-savvy “zoomer” generation into careers in construction?

In an exclusive interview, Construction Executive talks to Casey Welch, CEO of end-to-end workforce development company Tallo, who sheds light on what Gen Z wants in a career, how and where to reach the incoming workforce and what proactive steps construction companies can take today to secure the skilled workforce they’ll need to complete tomorrow’s projects.

Reprinted courtesy of Maggie Murphy, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.