We keep looking for more women in new home construction. And we’re always surprised when this resource is overlooked.
“Widely reported is the fact that people skilled at various parts of the process, and management of residential construction are in short enough supply that both the cost predictability and the time-to-deliver homes add up to one of every home building enterprise’s No. 1 risks.”— Builder Magazine On-Line, January 11, 2017
Whether financed by hard money, public money or private investors, the amount of time it takes to deliver a home drastically effects financial performance, and often even market share. Yet in recent years, in both the Puget Sound and nationwide markets, a shortage of skilled trades and labor has hampered builder performance. If you have visited an active construction site recently, you may have noticed the
lack of women in the trade. Half of our potential workforce is missing from the action.
Perhaps some pressure should be put on our trade association lobbyists* and trade school admins to step up their game.
*Where does the Master Builder Association of King and Snohomish Counties and the BIAW stand on recruiting and training?