Plenty of people bemoan the lack of labor in the trades, but not many are doing something about it. That sentiment can’t be said about Pam Stott, executive director of the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC) and fellow co-founder, Doug Ford, VP at Curtis Lumber. The 501c6 organization was formed late in 2023 but began as just a task force about seven years ago. The group arose from ongoing discussions held at Saratoga Builders Association meetings that always seemed to center on the biggest, most persistent issue each member faced: “How can we get more workers?”

August 19, 2024  |  Robby Brumberg, HBS Dealer

But where to begin? Stott started contacting every school in Saratoga County to understand why students might not be considering a career in the trades. Rather than being put out, “The schools welcomed us with open arms,” says Stott. This feedback from the schools crystallized the task force’s vision “to encourage young people and adults to consider a career in the construction industry by bringing awareness to the benefits associated with it.”

Getting teachers, principals and counselors on board was a huge first step, but the reaction of the students has helped spur the organization’s momentum even more. “You get passion when you connect with something personally. Working with kids directly is what ignited my passion, as I didn’t have awareness about opportunities in the trades when I was going to school,” Stott says. Bringing that awareness to students helped solidify the group’s mission and codify the work that led to the creation of the NCTWC. 

“We need to reach the students about the trades. They don’t understand the options and opportunities available,” says Stott, who notes that the construction industry still has its work cut out to promote itself to younger generations and to reverse outdated stigmas (too physical, poor pay, unsafe, long workdays, etc.).

The trades are also being outhustled and outmuscled by other industries in terms of school presence, PR and promotion. “It’s an industry issue. The armed forces, other industries and colleges recruit in the schools, but the trades do not promote themselves.”

Educating parents, many of whom still may hold outdated views of the kinds of opportunities available in construction, remains challenging though Stott says she’s seeing change even on that front. However, it helps to reach people while they’re young.  

The NCTWC’s outreach begins in the second grade and goes through high school. The organization’s “toolbox assembly” program, which gives second through fifth graders the chance to make their own toolbox under the guidance of an NCTWC member, has been a huge success. Beyond learning how to make their own toolbox with basic tools, and getting to take home a tape measure and tiny toolbelt, the session leader educates the kids about construction basics, which might involve discussing who built the school’s roof or who installed the toilets. “They’re so engaged in the toolbox program. Afterward, many kids tell their parents they want some wood to make something else on their own,” Stott says. The program has doubled in the last two years, and NCTWC now works with over 40 schools to spread the word about career options available in the trades.

Colleges are now approaching the NCTWC, which touches on another misconception Stott is keen to dispel. “You can get to the trades through college,” explaining that it’s not a one-or-the other proposition. As Stott observes, there’s still that societal pressure to attend college, “just because that’s what you’re ‘supposed to do,’ ” but it’s not for everyone. “Kids are just expected to attend college and eventually figure it out.” But now with soaring tuition rates and the uncertainty of finding work, even with an advanced degree, the trades are increasingly attractive. “Even if they don’t go the trades route, we’re empowering them with knowledge of their options and what’s possible.”

Sure, working in the trades can be backbreaking labor, hammers and nails. “It’s also science, tech, math, creativity, design and all of those things,” Stott says. Not to mention competitive pay and benefits and more job security than perhaps most people are used to. 

“The trades have advanced, and that’s part of our message. There’s also estimating, project management and other jobs that are more in the background but are also part of the trades. We’re there to make kids aware of their options,” Stott says. At the very least, it’s a great way to discover new jobs and fields people didn’t even know existed. 

On-the-job experience

NCTWC’s work also offers job shadowing, tours of local businesses and construction site visits.   Students see firsthand how work gets done on-site and the opportunity to ask questions. The group also strives to connect specific jobs and job functions with what kids are learning in school to demonstrate that science, math and tech are practical and relevant for careers, Stott says. The group also pairs students with younger workers who may be able to connect more easily and enthusiastically.

The NCTWC also recently hosted a hugely successful one-week construction camp for girls, which was designed to inspire a new generation of builders and help knock down the formidable gender barriers that exist in the construction industry. The camp, which was put on in conjunction with Whitbeck Construction and WSWHE BOCES, empowered the 22 girls who attended with basic construction tips and techniques, as well as career guidance. “The parents gave rave reviews,” says Stott. 

“This isn’t a gender-specific type of role, and I think the more that we introduce them to it, the more it empowers them and the more it encourages them to get involved,” said Matt Whitbeck, a construction company owner and building science educator who Stott says was integral in making the event such a resonant success. “One of the things that we teach is that whether you get into construction or not, likely one of the most expensive things you’ll own in your life will be your home, and you should know how to work on that,” Whitbeck explains. 

The NCTWC does have plans for growth. However, Stott says the group is in no big rush. “We do have a vision to go beyond where we are in New York. But we’re very mindful of not growing too fast, too far and doing it the right way.” 

Still, good ideas can’t help but spread. Stott shares that a builder from Washington state was so inspired by the elementary school toolbox program, he started his own.

Getting more kids interested in trades

Ultimately, it’s all about awareness and overcoming misconceptions about the trades, Stott says. “Parents are often the biggest obstacle due to outdated views of what the trades entail today, so again, awareness is key. It’s long been the thinking that to be successful in America you have to have a college degree. There are many pathways to get into the trades, and college is one of them, but you do not have to have a college degree to be successful in the trades.”

Companies also have a huge opportunity to help shift the paradigm—especially in terms of recruiting more women into the workforce and honestly evaluating shortcomings. “Companies should ask: Why aren’t we reaching out to women? We have to change our mindsets, and companies need to do different things to get different results.” 

While there’s no silver bullet to fixing the labor gap, reaching and teaching kids about the multitudes of opportunities that abound in the trades seems like a smart place to start. 

The inaugural Summer Construction Camp is aimed at inspiring a new generation of builders and dismantling gender barriers in the construction industry.

July 27, 2024  |  Written by Shannon Fromma, Staff Writer, Times Union

From left: Heather MacMillan, Brynn Dunbar and Maddyn Stanton hammer nails during the Construction Olympics, as part of the inaugural Construction Summer Camp, sponsored by the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition on Friday at Whitbeck Construction in Gansevoort. Photo Credit: Jim Franco/Times Union. View full gallery in original article here.

GANSEVOORT — While many kids look forward to swimming or fishing at summer camp, Aria Perrault had her sights set on using a power saw.

“I wanted to use power tools, but I just didn’t know how to and I was a little scared,” says Perrault, one of 22 students who participated in the inaugural Construction Summer Camp, a weeklong camp for middle school girls interested in exploring construction trades through hands-on experiences and field trips.

GANSEVOORT, NY — Middle school girls from across the Capital Region have a unique opportunity this summer to pick up some hands-on skills at a girls-only construction camp in Gansevoort.

July 23, 2024  |  Written by Olivia Jaquith, WRGB

The Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC), in conjunction with Whitbeck Construction and WSWHE BOCES, worked to organize the week-long camp, concluding Friday with Construction Olympics.

“The Construction Olympics is set up in honor that this year is an Olympic year, and we want to have the kids do some games that they can compete with each other, can really use some of the different disciplines that they’ll use and learn this week during camp to really go out and be competitive at the end of the week and possibly win some awards,” Whitbeck Construction Co-owner Matthew Whitbeck told CBS6.

Already, by the afternoon of their first day at camp, girls had built their own toolboxes and sawhorses.

“They’re working on some painting,” Whitbeck said. “We taught them how to use speed squares so that they understand how to apply the geometry that they’re learning in school to real-life situations and how it applies to construction.”

NCTWC President and Curtis Lumber Vice President Doug Ford said that the camp was an idea several years in the making.

“Our mission, simply, is to educate students, teachers, school counselors and parents about the opportunities in the trades,” he said. “Students are not exposed to the trades as much as they should be, [through] no fault of the counselors. We found that, as an industry, we’ve done a horrible job educating the schools and the counselors on the opportunities. So, we’re playing catchup and doing some work to fix that problem.”

Ford and Whitbeck said that work over the past seven years has been paying off. They both noted that they have seen greater interest, especially from girls and women, in the trades.

“This isn’t a gender-specific type of role, and I think the more that we introduce them to it, the more it empowers them and the more it encourages them to get involved,” Whitbeck said. “One of the things that we teach is that whether you get into construction or not, likely one of the most expensive things you’ll own in your life will be your home, and you should know how to work on that.”

The girls participating in this week’s inaugural camp come from different school districts across the Capital Region, so Ford and Whitbek noted that they hope the camp activities and games will encourage new friendships.

Moving forward, lobbyist and head of the Vandervort Group, Todd Vandervort, said he would like to see this camp and others like it expand.

“The demand is there, and legislators are now well aware of who we are and the needs,” he told CBS6. “We’re seeking other funding sources, and we’re talking to the governor’s office, as well. We want everybody to understand, there needs to be a pipeline of the students being knowledgeable of the trades, and if they know that, the students do, then they have other choices they can make.”

May 8, 2024  |  The Saratogian

Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake) recently hosted her annual Women of Distinction Awards at the Inn at Saratoga. Honored were: Top Row — Carol Polaczek (in honor of her late daughter Pamela), Pamela Stott, Renee Farley, Mary Beth McCullen, Donna Nichols, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, Sachmarie Crowley, Cheryl Grey, Fran Wurster; Seated — Marlene Countermine, Judith Thomas-Solomon, Pamela Fisher, Judy Chittenden Moffitt, Kiley Allen (Essay Contest Winner) and Kelly Hayes; Not pictured – Jeanne Noordsy and Theresa Skaine. Photo provided.

The Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC) proudly partnered with DeWalt’s Grow the Trades Program to honor WSWHE BOCES and Questar III BOCES Career and Technical (CTE) students going directly into the trades workforce.

June 17, 2024  |  NCTWC

In early June, students were recognized at CTE Signing Days for successfully securing the first step to their future by committing to employment with signed letters of intent.

CTE programs have added to the local economy and signing days are a way of honoring and thanking students who are helping to meet the needs for trades work in our communities.

Proud families, members of the school community, and local business partners looked on as Doug Ford, President of NCTWC congratulated students embarking on a career in  construction tech, heavy equipment, HVAC, and welding with the presentation of a sturdy DeWalt tool bag complete with some tools to help jump start their new beginnings. This  generous donation from DeWalt’s Grow the Trades Program assists in developing the  incoming construction workforce and supports non-profit organizations such as NCTWC, dedicated to growing the trades. 

This marks the third year the Coalition has been involved in this program; rewarding over 500  graduating BOCES students with a special gift. “It is one of our favorite times of the year,” says NCTWC Executive Director, Pam Stott . “BOCES and our Coalition have formed an  invaluable partnership in recognizing the increasing demand for a skilled workforce and our  combined efforts to support the trades.”

May 30, 2024  |  NCTWC

A huge thank you to Chris Bushee, Managing Editor of Saratoga TODAY and her staff for featuring our work and the trades in their latest edition of Simply Saratoga! Flip through the pages below and be sure to share it!

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The Saratoga Builders Association (SBA) and Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association (CRBRA) were thrilled to invite industry professionals, local leaders, legislators, and community members as we celebrate the launch of the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition (NCTWC) at their joint mixer.

April 16, 2024  |  NCTWC

This event took place on April 10th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clifton Park. The 200 attendees included  professionals from diverse business segments, and special guests Saratoga Springs Mayor, John Safford; Assemblywoman, Carrie Woerner; Assemblywoman, Mary Beth Walsh; and Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, Phil Barrett showing their support for this important initiative. 

Attendees enjoyed an evening filled with valuable networking opportunities, updates on the Coalition’s  progress in furthering the agenda to promote careers in the trades with local schools.  

“It was a great event and helped me understand the many programs this Coalition is offering students to  educate them about career opportunities in the trades. Our kids need this,” expressed one attendee.  

“We are excited to bring together stakeholders from across the region to celebrate the launch of the Northeast  Construction Trades Workforce Coalition,” said Doug Ford, President of NCTWC. “By collaborating with local  schools, leaders, and legislators, we aim to promote the trades as a viable and rewarding career option for the  next generation.” 

About the Northeast Construction Trades Workforce Coalition 

NCTWC is a non-profit organization, and our mission is to educate, inspire and connect people in pursuit of  rewarding careers in the trades, driving economic growth while building and sustaining our communities.

nctwc.org

About the Saratoga Builders Association  

SBA is a non-profit, specialized professional trade association representing the entire building industry.  Members include home builders, developers, remodelers, suppliers, sub- contractors, financial institutions,  architects, engineers, realtors, attorneys and other industry professionals.  

saratogabuilders.org

About the Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association 

CRBRA is dedicated to serving its members and the community by promoting professionalism and integrity in  the residential construction industry. 

crbra.com

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: 

Pam Stott, Executive Director (email: pam@nctwc.org)