The service trades shortage is dire.

According to a 2020 report, 71% of contractors say there is a lack of skilled tradespeople.

I am lucky enough to talk to contractors, both large and small, all across the U.S. Inevitably, when I ask them about their greatest challenge or greatest future challenge, the answer is always the same: The skilled trades labor shortage. 

Recruiting skilled, reliable plumbing employees is getting more difficult by the day. I know all about this because I operate a technical trade school with locations in Las Vegas and Phoenix. 

Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), a manufacturer of  push-to-connect plumbing products, valves, secondary pipe supports, firestopping solutions and fluid control technologies, is partnering with Home Builders Institute (HBI), a national leader in career training for the building and construction industry, as the exclusive Trade Sponsor for its 22 plumbing programs across the U.S., primarily serving Job Corps students and justice-involved individuals. 

On Sept. 4, Carhartt unveiled a larger-than-life installation of 1,670 hard hats to represent 1.67 million job openings across construction, manufacturing, mining, logging, transportation, trade and utilities.

Nearly 6,000 Houston-area students got the chance to “test drive” lucrative design and construction careers through an NKBA program. It provides BridgeYear/NKBA Career Tours to schools at no cost and will expand to markets beyond Houston over the next two years — and possibly add virtual options — with the goal of impacting more than 24,000 high school students.

The days of folded paper maps and crank car windows are long gone. The cars of today practically drive themselves with features like park assist, lane detection and rearview cameras.

Welcome to the winter edition of the Radiant Comfort Report! This second edition of the RCR has a great piece by Dave Yates — take some time to check it out on page 8. By the time you read this, the RPA will have participated in its second year of co-sponsoring the PHCC CONNECT event in Indianapolis in October.