In The News

Here at S&B USA, we talk a lot about growth. It’s only natural—we are experiencing a growing demand for infrastructure repair and replacement across the United States. As existing systems age and the demand for infrastructure projects rises, the construction industry is beginning to see a shift towards larger, more complex projects.

However, this means the growth of the workforce needs to keep up with the growing demand, which—spoiler alert—it’s not. In fact, the construction industry is facing a major disparity: we’re losing approximately 500,000 jobs each year, and by 2031, as much as 41% of the current construction workforce may retire. This issue is compounded by a lack of interest among younger generations—fewer than 3% of young people are considering construction as a potential career path.

On top of that, much of the country’s transportation infrastructure was built in the 1960s, meaning a large percentage of currently existing roads and bridges will need to be replaced sometime within the next several years, leaving government owners scrambling to address this massive backlog.

However, there is good news.

There are tons of options when it comes to collective action we can take to minimize the impact of these industry-wide issues on the horizon. To bridge gaps in talent, the construction industry needs to start tapping into underrepresented demographics, partnering with educators to open students’ eyes to potential career pathways within the industry, and developing strong relationships with local unions and craftspeople.

Attracting Underrepresented Demographics
While women make up approximately 45.6% of the overall US workforce, they only represent 11.5% of the construction workforce. Plus, this percentage gets even smaller if you’re looking at women with roles traditionally associated with fieldwork, such as equipment operators or carpenters. Because of this, women—and other underrepresented groups—are a treasure trove of underutilized talent. If the construction industry wants to address the upcoming employment gap, we need to learn how to tap into this talent by attracting these groups.

This will not be an easy undertaking—it will require our industry to take a long look at ourselves and enact some changes at a fundamental level. But, change is often good! And these changes will likely be necessary if companies want to evolve with the future of our workforce.

The first step begins with representation. Nearly 44% of women have indicated they chose not to pursue a job due to a perceived lack of inclusion. People like being part of a group—that’s why sciences like sociology exist.

Seeing people from similar marginalized backgrounds can help employees feel a stronger sense of belonging and better navigate challenges that may be unique to their identities. This is especially true for young individuals, those still in school. They need role models they can look up and aspire to, yet women remain underrepresented in academic civil engineering circles, with only 21% of tenured/tenure-track civil engineering faculty being women.

However, recruitment is only part of the solution. Retention is just as critical, if not more so. One of the biggest obstacles for women in construction is the lack of workplace flexibility. The industry is known for its rigid schedules, early start times—often before daycare centers open—and long hours. In the US, women perform nearly 80% of the caregiving for children and elderly family members. By offering benefits like better parental leave or onsite childcare, companies are more likely to retain talented individuals who are supporting families.

Partnering with Educators
Education can also play a critical role in attracting people to the construction industry—especially younger generations. Out of every age group, children and teenagers have the greatest need to explore new experiences. While all brains are shaped by how we deal with life events, social interactions, and learning opportunities, this is particularly true during periods of rapid development like adolescence.

Because most children and teenagers spend 40 hours a week in the classroom, it should come as no surprise that a large portion of their exposure to new subjects and ideas happens at school. Many students develop interests young; in one survey, respondents reported deciding on their dream job by an average of age 7. By exposing children to construction and construction-related careers, companies have a better chance of building a pipeline for future talent.

S&B USA has been riding this train for some time now. We’ve been fostering local career growth for over two decades. Recently, we donated $50,000 to The Challenge Program to inspire and support high school students by introducing them to exciting opportunities in construction while pointing them towards apprenticeships and other pathways to pursue a rewarding career in the industry.

We’re also working closely with universities. S&B USA signed a formal memorandum of understanding with the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering and College of Business Administration to develop future talent and share knowledge that will advance the development and construction of critical infrastructure. Through this initiative, we’re building connections with Pitt’s faculty and students to offer experience-based learning, bring together business and engineering with the goal of generating innovative infrastructure solutions, and share insights into our regional and global infrastructure projects.

Developing Relationships with Local Unions
While contractors retain their own employees, unions play a critical role in cultivating a skilled workforce of laborers and tradespeople such as carpenters, cement masons, operators, and laborers. Union workers have access to development initiatives and apprenticeship programs that their counterparts do not, which often improves both the quality of work they produce and their safety record while working.

S&B USA has a history of working with local labor unions in both Pennsylvania and Maryland. We’ve had agreements with CAWP and LiUna since 1947, which has ensured a consistent supply of both experienced journey-level workers and well-prepared apprentices for our projects. Being a union contractor is a key aspect of S&B USA’s business. Unionized labor has a long-standing presence in construction, and understanding the importance of this relationship can help companies like us run more efficient, well-managed projects while providing skilled labor.

Conclusion
The construction industry is changing. Recognizing the transformative power of our collective action at this pivotal moment is essential as our industry moves forward, one project at a time. It’s time to change our approach, embrace a diverse workforce, get our message into the classroom, work with local unions, and—most importantly—reshape American infrastructure. We have to capitalize on this movement before it’s too late, to promote a more innovative and inclusive future version of our industry.