Items Tagged with 'labor shortage'

Bringing veterans into the trades isn’t charity; it’s capacity building. They tend to stay longer, care deeply about their work, and invest locally. Every veteran hired strengthens not just a company but the community it serves.

By automating time-consuming tasks like takeoffs, quoting and scheduling, the platform is enabling builders to do more with less—boosting efficiency, supporting apprenticeships and making the trades more appealing for the next generation.

It’s about clarity and consistency. Are your techs empowered to say no to unreasonable requests? Do they feel supported when a client pushes back? Do your customers understand the value behind your pricing, and the fact that your team isn’t just delivering a service, they’re delivering their skill, time and care?

Advances in hardware and software open the door to future-proof projects, maximize resources and unlock new efficiencies. Here are three ways plumbing and mechanical contractors can use technology to get more done despite the industry’s shortage of skilled labor.

Allow your young workers time to learn. Mistakes will happen; turn them into learning opportunities. Do your best to create an environment where questions are encouraged! We all start somewhere, after all. And, most importantly, recognize growth when you see it. Gen-Z workers seem to thrive off of praise, so don’t be shy with it!

In the trades, apprenticeships form the basis for skill development, but the concept should extend beyond entry-level roles to become a lifelong approach to leadership.

This order aims to help equip the future skilled trades workers of America with the training, knowledge and experience that is needed to increase the number of skilled trades workers and apprentices in the U.S, and to invest in the reindustrialization and economic growth of America.

In the plumbing and HVAC industry, equipping your team with essential skills is crucial. As a general manager, I've seen how investing in training transforms apprentices into top performers, creating a skilled and adaptable workforce.

How can smaller, locally-owned home service businesses compete with larger companies for a new generation of workers? Beyond better pay and a more engaging culture, they must use technology to attract younger employees.

“American Plumber Stories,” a YouTube docuseries hosted by Craig Morgan, aims to promote plumbing as a career. Directed by Spencer Brown of Pfister, it has become a cultural symbol for the plumbing community, inspiring trade school teachers to incorporate it into their curriculum and receiving positive feedback for its impact.