Before she started, Regina Funmaker found it daunting to face the unknown when she first considered a construction career. But after starting full-time work as an apprentice construction laborer, she noticed that she inspired others by taking the leap.

In January, Funmaker switched from her job as an office manager and completed the highway construction skills program at Forward Services Corp. She kicked off her apprenticeship with Boldt and the Laborers’ Local 330 and performed demolition work at the ongoing Fox Commons project in Appleton.

“Since then, all the employees — from the foremen, superintendent and office staff — has been welcoming and encouraging,” Funmaker said. “I didn’t realize how much the construction field offers. It’s hard to put yourself in one lane in construction. When you develop all these trades, the opportunities are endless,” she added.

Contractors reimagine workplaces to onboard new people
In December 2023, there were 374,000 job openings in construction, a

ccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The current workforce is graying out as the median age for construction and extraction was 40.6 years. Only 10.8% of the workforce is made up of women and 86.8% of it is white, BLS data showed.

It’s no secret that construction needs more workers, and both unions and contractors are trying to fill the gaps by reaching out to women and people of color, who weren’t traditionally found in the role decades earlier. With a labor shortage, contractors and unions realize they must reimagine the workplace environment as they welcome new workers.

“There’s certain cultural aspects to the trades in the Midwest that are tough for anybody outside the [white, male] demographic to break into,” said Rob Branyan, the vice president of labor relations at Boldt. “The example I always use is: I know how to talk the language, what boots to wear, how to wear your hardhat. I knew the lingo.”

To help hires that don’t come from that background get up to speed, construction companies will have to build a welcoming environment, Branyan said.

“It’s important for two reasons,” he added. “One is obviously to address the labor shortage, and the other is to make sure we’re representing the community they work in.”

 

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