Infrastructure Bonds Point Out Weakness and Opportunity in Workforce Preparedness
Copyright Jack Mixner. 714 449 1040. www.mixnerstrategy
I attended a one-day conference (CalEDGE) in Sacramento two weeks ago on helping businesses take advantage of the new bond funds for infrastructure construction approved by the electorate in California in 2006. Added together, it looks like there are $50 billion in funds available for construction over the next years.
Sounds great, especially if you own a construction company. One big problem: there aren't enough construction workers to construct all the infrastructure envisioned. It seems, in our focus on training technical workers, we forgot to train construction workers in the now very limited vocational programs we used to be so proud of.
Which brings us to the other problem. Since there aren't enough workers, the construction companies are ending up solo bidders on major work. LAUSD reported at the conference that one of their recent contracts was four times more expensive on a square foot basis than the preceding contract.
Will we be able to train enough construction workers in time? By the time they are ready to make a living at construction, will there be any funds left for construction, or will it have been frittered away on cost padding? Time will tell.
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