“Oh, Ms. Taylor, thank you and C3 so much for helping me get this job offer, but I can’t take it now. “Jose, Alvin ISD class of 2019, and countless other students and career seekers over the last seven years.
My question for each of them is, “Why?” The answers vary and show that we have so many barriers to overcome.
“Well, my parents don’t want me to be like them and end up in a construction trade.”
“My parents work, and our family can’t afford daycare, so I have to care for my siblings, at least until they all return to school in August. “
“I don’t have the money to buy boots and tools.”
“There is just no way for me to get to a job site since I don’t have a car or license.”
Other job seekers tell me,” I called all the people you referred me to, and nobody was hiring, or nobody called me back.”
When candidates encounter barriers, they have two options: stop moving toward careers in construction or find a resource to help them remove the barrier. Construction Career Collaborative needs to be a barrier remover.
These remarks identify barriers related to three main issues: money for the initial start-up, career perception, and industry follow-through.
Let me switch up my story for just a minute. When I joined C3 in 2017, we were not well equipped as an industry to assist employees in establishing careers. This is not a judgment on the industry or a slight against the companies that had proactively established career paths. Our industry was in disarray regarding the demand for skilled professionals. We have come a long way in seven years and are now more adept at hiring and placing job seekers into professional career paths within our organizations. Community partnerships and internal training programs are making headway in the way we are seen by those seeking careers without long investments in post-secondary education.
We are finally poised at the precipice of the valid reason we were established. We have climbed the mountain that can make us competitive for top talent, and it is time we begin to remove barriers for those seeking to join our industry. As hiring companies, we have work to do to follow through on job vacancies and forecast our needs more correctly. C3 will launch a working cohort to set the job baseline in the next two years through nationally recognized forecasting tools and technology. Want to be part of this barrier-breaking group? Call or text me at 713-999-1032. The group is limited to only ten contractors/trade partners, and the seats are filling fast. We need your voice and your forecast to get this right. Meetings kick off on August 21 at 7:30 am. Let’s ensure that nobody is ever left unheard when they apply and that the jobs are ready for people to fill because we have an accurate forecast of who is needed and when.
C3 is knocking down money barriers to career entry, beginning with our Tool Supply Drive. The organization has pledged $ 8,000 in seed money to buy tools, tool belts, and tool bags for entry-level positions, with a goal of over $40,000 being donated in the next year as a combination of tools and cash for the purchase of tools. This is the easiest way to eliminate the need for new craft professionals to be prepared with tools and boots before they start work. All Accredited Employers can send their new hires needing assistance obtaining tools and boots to C3 for assistance beginning in September of 2024. As we address the need for financial support to get started, we also communicate that the industry values them from day one and is dedicated to creating a successful start for them safely and productively.
I have to tell you the one answer that broke my heart the most was that of 18-year-old Jose from Alvin ISD, whose dad is a plumber and mom does bookkeeping for a roofing company; his parents refused to let him work as a welder and sent him to college instead. Jose told me they wanted more for him than they had, and blue-collar work is not the same as white collar. Jose didn’t make it to college and felt like he let his parents down. He is working in HVAC now and embracing the career he wanted. You see, we have an image problem! When even those in the industry don’t want to see their children follow them, we need to tear down the stereotypes of construction. We must change the narrative, own the message, and grow our presence in front of all those who counsel people seeking careers. C3 is launching multi-pronged career marketing programs that include a podcast, social media ads, billboards, and a short film telling our workers’ stories, successes, and career paths. Changing the narrative one inspiring story at a time, leveraging the professionals who look like our talent pipeline and share their everyday experiences, solidifies the message. Indeed, some of you live the story we need to tell, and others are masterful storytellers at heart. Please help us break down the image that holds back the best and brightest in our city from joining our professional ranks. We will kick off the “I built that” campaign on August 27th at 11:00 am. We need you with us – RSVP to this kickoff by texting or calling me at 713.999.1032. We can’t take away every barrier for everyone, but we can be the organization that helps career seekers keep going when a barrier arises and to reach out to us and seek more help. We have the keys to significantly impact Houston’s economic well-being by applying best practices to forecast labor and donating tools, time, and money to kick off job seekers. For many, a career in construction can mean financial independence that has not been known in their family for generations. Isn’t it time that we broke down the barriers, helped those around us, and reaped the reward of investing in the future of our industry?
