ABC released the 2021 Workforce Development Survey this week. Workforce Development is a priority for ABC. America’s economic engine is fueled by a workforce equipped with durable and transferable skill sets. Apprenticeship and career technical education provide the right tools to our nation’s workforce to not only build the places where Americans live, work, heal, play and learn, but also cultivate long-lasting and rewarding career opportunities. Survey highlights include:
- ABC contractor members invested $1.3 billion in workforce development initiatives in 2020, providing craft, leadership and safety education to 500,000 course attendees to advance their careers in commercial and industrial construction.
- Safety education accounted for 71% of the total workforce investment as per-person spending doubled, revealing an elevated focus on worker education, safety and total human health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The percentage of contractors reporting a severe labor shortage declined 3% between 2019 and 2020, while those reporting a moderate labor shortage increased 5%.
- Compared to 2019, general and construction management contractors have increased their share of the total workforce development investment, growing to 58% in 2020 from 21% in 2019.
- Women in management/supervisory roles ticked up to 17% in 2020 from 16% in 2019.
