We often hear from contractor professionals in the plumbing and heating industry how difficult it is to find good skilled workers. Older workers are retiring and most young people are not flocking to the trades. As the construction industry shed jobs during the recession, many workers left the industry to find jobs elsewhere.
Progressive contractors such as Jim Steinle, president of Virginia Beach, Va.-based Atomic Plumbing, believe the best way to combat the labor shortage problem is to “grow” their own technicians through apprenticeship programs. Steinle, who started as an apprentice at Atomic Plumbing, is a firm believer in recruiting and teaching the next generation of plumbers.