Green Building Demand Exceeds Workforce Supply

According to a SmartMarket report released by McGraw-Hill, green jobs currently represent 35% of the construction workforce and 650,000 jobs. This figure is expected to grow to 48% by 2015.

The report, titled, "Construction Industry Workforce Shortages: Role of Certification, Training and Green Jobs in Filling the Gaps," focuses on skilled workers. A combination of rapid industry growth, pending retirements, and the recession itself contribute to the problem. The shortage is expected to be particularly severe for staff with ten or more years of experience.

Despite weak market conditions, interest in green building practices has only strengthened in recent years. At the same time employers believe that certified green professionals will add to their firms' competitiveness and performance, statistics show concerns about a pending shortage of qualified specialty contractors and craft workers.

Recommendations include increased in-house training, association programs, an emphasis on collaboration and new technologies skills, more on-the-job experience and support for employees seeking certification. For more information, see: http://analyticsstore.construction.com/index.php/smartmarket-report-construction-industry-workforce-shortages-2012.html