David Broomhead, co-founder and CEO of Trade Hounds, interviewed for article about trade school. Read full story here
By Harry Bruinius
“I’ve worked in both a traditional finance job and in the trades,” Mr. Broomhead says. “I can say the job satisfaction I had working in the trades was much higher than working in finance.” Construction workers, in fact, rank among the most happy and satisfied in the nation, he says.
At the same time, about 80 percent of construction companies are having trouble finding qualified craft workers, according to the annual report of The Associated Contractors of America.
“For decades, high school teachers and parents have told kids to go to college, because it’s the only way to get ahead and get a good paying job,” Mr. Broomhead says. “This has led to a huge drop-off in kids attending traditional vocational schools and getting into a skilled trade.”
“The bad news is this has led to a huge skilled labor shortage, and construction companies don’t have enough manpower to build America,” he continues. “The good news is tradespeople are cashing in, with wages increasing and more benefits on the job.”
Indeed, the construction sector had some of the sharpest rates of wage growth in the country, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics.