A “Win-Win” for Construction and Youth in Oklahoma

Photo courtesy of Association of Oklahoma General Contractors

by Carolyn Kramer Simons, senior director, state funding policy, and managing director of the Transportation Officials Division, ARTBA

Like many states—and many sectors of the economy— Oklahoma’s construction industry is hungry for new talent. An aging workforce, pandemic-related disruptions, and a slew of new projects thanks to historic levels of infrastructure investment, have contributed to a nationwide construction worker shortage.

Seeing his members struggle to fill jobs, Association of Oklahoma General Contractors (AOGC) Executive Director Bobby Stem knew something needed to be done. As a member of ARTBA’s Workforce Development Task Force, he and other state contractor leaders have been thinking outside of the box—partnering with local non-profits and exploring ways to attract a new generation of skilled workers to the jobsite.

Job Corps to the Rescue

“About a year ago a friend mentioned Jobs Corps to me,” said Stem. “After several conversations and many visits [with the non-profit], we found this to be a very worthy cause and reliable partner.”

Job Corps began in the 1960s as a federally funded antipoverty campaign. While aspects of the organization have changed over the years, it continues to carry out its original mission of training disadvantaged young people for a better tomorrow. Today’s Job Corps is made up of youth ages 16 to 24 who are experiencing a life transition. Many are homeless or lack a supportive home environment. Students live on campus where they receive meals, medical care, and job training as they work toward their General Education Degree (GED).

The program offers training in several areas including finance and information technology, but one-third of young people in the program, according to Stem, choose a “hard hat trade.”

Creating a Pipeline

Oklahoma, with its three Job Corps centers, has proven to be fertile ground for recruitment. Several times a month, AOGC representatives visit the centers to meet one-on- one with hard hat students and explain the numerous opportunities available in road and bridge construction. “We call this session ‘Construction 101,’” explained Stem. Interested students then enroll in a four- to six-week “work study” program with an AOGC member firm. Upon completion, they can be permanently placed within that company.

“We have about five to 10 students graduating per month— that’s possibly over 100 kids annually who could come into the industry,” Stem noted.

The program has been so successful that AOGC recently invested in two Caterpillar LITE Simulators. The virtual reality equipment will be brought to Job Corps centers where students will be able to experience operating a compact loader and excavator.

Putting in the Work

Recruiting these young people requires more than just sparking their interest—it often requires earning their trust. Stem says they begin by simply establishing a relationship with an individual.

“It takes a constant presence to gain their trust. Many have never had a solid family structure to rely on,” he explained. “We need to prove we are here for them, and that we are here for the long haul.”

For AOGC, this means investing time outside of the workplace. This past Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the association rented out an entire movie theater for two groups of Job Corps students who had nowhere to celebrate the holidays. Students and their mentors enjoyed a carefree day of movies.

While the association is pursuing other initiatives to help Oklahoma contractors recruit and retain workers, this has clearly been the most rewarding for everyone involved.

“Not only will we see five to 10 new hires a month, but those are five to 10 lives we can impact. It is truly a win-win,” Stem concluded.