Dive Brief:
-
A 9-year-old Pittsburgh boy has written a book called “The Construction Kid” about the experiences he had hanging out with a utility construction crew three summers ago.
-
Grant Webb wrote his self-published book with the help of his mother after the backhoe-obsessed boy spent hours every day shadowing crew members, asking questions and learning about the equipment.
-
Jill Webb said the tome will fill a void on bookstore shelves, where construction-themed children’s books often are for younger kids. The book is available on the Barnes & Noble and Amazon websites.
Dive Insight:
The boy’s effort coincides with a growing movement to educate children about the value of construction and the potential for careers in the industry.
While a 9-year-old might seem too young to recruit for a future construction job, some in the industry credit the current labor shortage, in part, to a reluctance of parents and teachers to encourage youngsters to consider the building trades as a career, steering them instead to jobs that require four-year college degrees.
"Our goal is to promote the construction industry and we start with the grade school children,” one National Association of Women in Construction organizer said of the group's building blocks contest for children in grades first through sixth. Others agree that one way to fill future demand for skilled construction workers is to get youngsters interested in those careers at an early age and keep them engaged in the work as they get older and closer to joining the workforce.