Every industry in the United States is currently feeling the constraints of the labor shortage. Employers continue to struggle to bring in new workers and keep existing ones. Job openings far outnumber individuals looking for work — in March, there were 11.5 million jobs to fill, and not enough workers to fill them, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary.
The skilled trades are no stranger to these difficulties, having been dealing with the effects of the labor shortage for years now. However, some creative contractors have found a solution by creating paid in-house training programs to entice new employees to the plumbing and HVAC trades.