It all seems like a long time ago, but even before the outbreak of COVID-19, construction companies were busy trying to find the next generation of workers. With so much work out there, it seemed like builders were fighting over subcontractors as well as who they could get to replace retirees.
Now that builders have a better handle on how to work during the pandemic, they can turn their attention back to finding the next generation of laborers. And one way to find those employees may be through social media. WALB News 10 reports that Construction Education Foundation of Georgia CEO Scott Shelar is using Instagram to grow the building talent of local students.
This will help with a shortage of construction workers that the foundation expects will happen in Georgia this year. “Normally, we work through the schools, and of course, schools are out for the summer, but we don’t want to stop our efforts to reach students, so we are going to take it straight to the students on Instagram,” Shelar told the station.
The foundation is making students aware by hosting education programs on social media. “We are launching an Instagram awareness campaign to help people understand careers in the skill trades, how to pursue a career in the skill trades, where to go to get the training, and where to go to get employment in the skills trades,” Shelar describes.
He added that thousands of kids are enrolled in hundreds of construction programs across Georgia and students can take advantage of online sessions. “We are also going to have a lot of exciting guest speakers,” he told WALB. “We are going to have some people who actually work in the industry, some young people who are pursuing a career in the skill trades and we are going to hear directly from them.”
