Kitchen & Bath Business - October 2017 - 22

ORLANDO
JANUARY 10-12
2017

The Labor Issue

B Y B I L L D A R C Y,
NKBA CEO

The critical need for skilled labor is amplified by recent hurricane damage and will be addressed at KBIS
As if the market for skilled labor wasn't already in dire need, with some six
million jobs going unfilled this year, the devastation caused by hurricanes
Harvey and Irma in the Southeastern U.S. is exacerbating the situation to
record levels. Beyond the tragic loss of life, the reports of property damage are
staggering: in the Gulf Coast region alone, there has been nearly $200 billion
in damage, including more than 200,000 homes sustaining some harm. (At
press time, results had not been estimated for damage from Irma.)
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) established a Disaster
Relief Fund to help members get their businesses back on their feet, with the
goal of raising $1 million and the association matching up to $500,000 in
donations (visit nkba.org to learn how to contribute). It's particularly critical
to get this essential industry up and running again because of the unprecedented need for rebuilding, remodeling and recovering from the floods to
help the region begin the long healing process.

All proceeds from the campaign will go to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation's Work Ethic Scholarship Program,providing scholarships to people getting
trained for skilled jobs in demand.The program has been instrumental in granting more than $3 million in education funds for trade schools across the country.
As another tie-in to This Old House Ventures, NKBA is planning a spirited discussion with This Old House host Kevin O'Connor on Oct. 25 at Acme
Feed & Seed in Nashville, just before the Remodeling Show, DeckExpo
and JLC LIVE (R|D|J). O'Connor will be there to talk about the dearth of
skilled labor and the pressing need to encourage young people to train for
these fields. Additionally, author, business strategist and former Chicago
Bears linebacker Matt Mayberry will join O'Connor on stage and discuss
building a business, developing the mental toughness needed to prosper and
tackling adversity. Mayberry will share his inspiring story and offer tips for
how to apply strategies for success to business and everyday life.

WHERE WE STAND
This shines a spotlight on the increasingly important drive to encourage
education and training in the skilled trades. Our partners in Design & Construction Week®, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB),
revealed that the number of builders reporting severe shortages in labor and
subcontractors is rising. In July, 77 percent of builders reported shortages of
framers; 76 percent said they couldn't find enough rough carpenters; and 74
percent said they lacked finish carpenters.
NAHB's Housing Market Index survey, conducted with Wells Fargo,
examined 15 disciplines and found a range of 43 to 77 percent of builders
reporting labor shortages in these fields, including drywall installers (61 percent), plumbers (57 percent) and electricians (54 percent). According to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the count of unfilled jobs in the construction
sector rose significantly in June to a seasonally adjusted 225,000 jobs - the
highest since September 2016 and well above the 171,000 estimate recorded
in June 2016.
The lack of skilled labor also means new construction of homes and remodeling projects costing more and taking longer to finish. Where are the
craftsmen and skilled laborers coming from to meet this need?
WHAT WE CAN DO
NKBA is partnering with This Old House Ventures' Generation Next initiative, a philanthropic campaign to encourage and empower young people
to join the skilled trades, in the second year of a program that will again be
highlighted at KBIS 2018 from Jan. 9-11 in Orlando.Through this venture,
This Old House supports the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, highlighting the
widening skills gap and suggesting skilled labor professions as an alternative
to a traditional four-year college education, which often leaves a graduate
with crushing debt and no guarantee of a job.
"We're continuing to encourage young people to consider the building
trades as an alternative career option," said Eric G.Thorkilsen, CEO of This
Old House Ventures. "With the launch of the new television season at the
end of September, that message gets even stronger as we kick off episode one
with Mike [Rowe] and our guys talking about GenNext - and how the whole
season will be devoted to related stories. More of that will be coming through
the end of this year, and we will continue to create events and projects that
help contribute funds to the MRW Foundation."

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Also part of this drive, NKBA is affiliated with the ACE Mentor Program of America, which inspires high school students to pursue careers in
architecture, construction, engineering and related fields, providing scholarships, grants and mentoring opportunities and the SkilledLaborFund.org,
an industry-wide effort to raise funds to address the shortage of skilled labor
entering the residential construction market. NKBA's own TradeUP Initiative, a united effort focused on building interest in skilled trade education and
training, will be spotlighted at KBIS as well.

Kitchen & Bath Business / OCTOBER 2017 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)
http://www.nkba.org http://www.SkilledLaborFund.org http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.KBIS.com
Kitchen & Bath Business - October 2017

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