If you build it, will they come?
The National Wood Flooring Association launched an online university to prepare people for certifications in wood flooring. Why did they do that? Apparently, not enough young people are taking up the trades. I don’t think that means an industry is dying. It may mean perceptions of the industry by potential skilled workers need to be updated.
Demand and supply factors in the shortage of skilled labor.
- Demand: Workforce in the trades is aging out.
- Supply: Young people still want to go to college instead of take up a trade.
The trades are concerned their careers aren’t as flashy as others. NWFA University offers digital badges as credentials in response.
Flashiness isn’t the cure-all, however. Saying college isn’t necessary isn’t the solution either. There are benefits from going to college that tradespeople can gain. Rather, there needs to be a way to help people find a balance. What incentives are there, for example, to encourage working tradespeople to take college courses on the side? A degree can be had without going into debt while fixing the labor shortages in the trades.