Dive Brief:

• A new law in Tennessee will create a statewide program to recruit high school and college students into the construction industry.

• The Go Build Tennessee Act allows the state to funnel excess Board of Licensing Contractors' income from applications, renewals and fines into media campaigns, advertising and marketing materials aimed at attracting young construction workers and creating more career opportunities in the field.

• Overseeing the program will be a nonprofit corporation run by the Associated General Contractors of Tennessee, the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Home Builders of Tennessee and the Tennessee Road Builders Association.

Dive Insight:

The average age of a Tennessee construction worker is 50, and for every five workers who retire or quit, just one takes their place, according to the AGC of Tennessee. “Younger people just do not see construction as a career, nor do guidance counselors steer them to construction," the association said in a news release.