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player ready...Florida has started a $6 million program to train construction workers after a statewide survey revealed nearly 14,000 job vacancies in the construction industry, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings announced this month.
The push to recruit and train carpenters, electricians, roofers and others comes as a relief to home builders struggling to keep up with Florida’s housing boom but are hamstrung by a dearth of trained workers.
The widespread damage from the two recent hurricane seasons has added to the need for workers.
The goal of the new “Florida reBuilds” program also is to boost the workforce to help to restore damaged businesses and convince new businesses that their new construction deadlines can be met. It will be funded by a $5 million U.S. Department of Labor grant and $1 million in state workforce money aimed at recruiting, training and placing workers.
“We have been experiencing this problem and watching this problem grow for a significant period of time,” said Len Tylka Jr., president of West Palm Beach-based LTL Homes and president of the Florida Home Builders Association.
The plan is designed to provide short-term training–from two to eight weeks–for up to 3,000 entry-level workers in air conditioning and heating, carpentry, dry wall, electricity, masonry, plumbing and roofing.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will seek additional funds to train up to 10,000 more workers during the next legislative session.
Construction industry leaders think there could be twice as many vacancies as the 13,712 estimated by the state Agency for Workforce Innovation in a survey completed in April, prior to when hurricanes swept through the state.
Jennings acknowledged that the program will not create a highly skilled workforce but will help shore up the building industry.
“We’re not under the impression or the illusion that we are going to bring people in off of the street and immediately turn them into seasoned roofers or seasoned carpenters. That’s not going to happen. But we need workers so badly,” she said.