Dive Brief:
- Houston-based Marek Brothers, a commercial and residential contractor, could not find enough qualified people for the construction supervisor slots it needed to fill.
- Marek teamed with Lone Star College to set up a training program tailored to what Marek needs, and graduates then go into groups to get on-the-job training.
- Another Houston contractor, Boyer Inc., created a four-year in-house training program that merges on-the-job learning about construction with classroom work on management topics.
Dive Insight:
A survey this year by Associated General Contractors of America found a lot of the industry is worried about labor shortages as, they hope, the recovery gets legs, and Marek's Mike Holland notes that construction supervisors traditionally have come from among the trades. Holland and Boyer say the skill set needed for a supervisor job just keeps growing, with construction itself involving more technology skills and other duties requiring people skills, diplomacy and tact.
