Labor shortages in the skilled trades discussion

[rob_s]

FWIW, lumber and other material costs notwithstanding, in our area there seems to be no slowing down multi family (condos and apartments) and even hotels are coming back (nobody was starting construction on a hotel in 2020).

We have several large (25-50 story) multi family jobs starting now. Biggest issue is the labor. And I don’t just mean the guys screwing and nailing shot together, but also the people to manage the projects. We lost a LOT of institutional knowledge about how to run work in the last recession. Lots of old guys, that were teaching and mentoring young guys, left the industry. As such, the young guys came up without a good example of how to do things. Now here we are 10+ years on and those young guys, who never learned the right way to begin with, have been promoted to positions of power (sorry, “leadership” in modern business jargon) and are frankly fucking it all up. Combine that with millenialism and the fact that some of these folks are themselves Millenials who have subscribed to the narrative, and it’s a total shit show.

Even basic concepts like meeting minutes and daily reports are totally ignored, and the less-easily-ignored RFIs and Submittals are still getting mugged daily. Almost every issue I see in the field can be tracked back to a mis-management in the office, out often simply because the guy (or girl, these days) managing the office doesn’t know his ass from his elbow when it comes to process.

[Hambo]

@rob_s, I'm hearing similar stories from people in other fields and it's disconcerting.

[rob_s]

@rob_s, I'm hearing similar stories from people in other fields and it's disconcerting.

Yeah I wish I could say Construction is alone there. I’ve drafted, and deleted, a coterie thread on this topic a half dozen times. Have t figured out how to get all the concepts from my brain to my fingertips yet.

[Hambo]

Yeah I wish I could say Construction is alone there. I’ve drafted, and deleted, a coterie thread on this topic a half dozen times. Have t figured out how to get all the concepts from my brain to my fingertips yet.

Just let it rip and post it. I'd love to read the discussion that follows. I think it will be a wisdon of crowds thing. Everybody sees pieces, but none of us see the whole picture.

[LittleLebowski]

I’m hearing lots of bad things about skilled labor in the trades right now.

[Caballoflaco]

Just let it rip and post it. I'd love to read the discussion that follows. I think it will be a wisdon of crowds thing. Everybody sees pieces, but none of us see the whole picture.

Looks like that thread just got started if a mod could split it off.

[fixer]

I’m in the middle of a big job right now that is hung up because of manpower shortages and skills shortages.

Literally just got back from the deck coaching an instrument tech how to un wire and disconnect some transmitters.

[Borderland]

Here's a good article on the surveying profession. I've been retired for 7 years and I still get people asking me if I can do a small job. Uh, no.

https://www.proplogix.com/blog/how-a...-your-closing/

[rob_s]

One good thing about all of this...

The robots are coming.

just like the checkers/self-checkout, once the human becomes more difficult/scarce/expensive, you WILL be replaced. That goes for "pencil pushers" like me too.

There are so many machines for construction right now from layout to laying block, but they lack the funding because people are still cheap. Make them less skilled and more expensive and less available and suddenly folks will get real interested in alternative means.

I'm a little sad that lumber prices seem to be headed down, even if not all the way down. I'm really interested in alternative building materials (I have some samples on my desk made from rice hulls, pretty neat concept) but without funding to get spun up to scale they are still expensive. Make "real wood" more expensive for long enough and people are going to get interested in alternatives.

[Tensaw]

This simply validates my decision to be a hard-head and refuse to hire "skilled" labor as I have remodeled my house from front to back. I may not be a pro, but I care about the work I am doing and give it proper attention. This, as a co-worker is hiring folks to come in and remodel her place and she has had issues with *every single* tradesman she has had in the house. Between youtube, knowledgeable friends, and being willing to spend money on good tools (and material that I screw up), I feel like I have gotten a better outcome all the way around vice hiring work done. And even if something comes out sub-standard, at least I have only myself to blame.

This weekend I will be installing a tanked electric water heater and replacing the associated plumbing (inside the walls) with Pex. I already know this (the plumbing part) is gonna be a PITA, but I'm cool with that.