A Brighter Future Starts With Workforce Development
Today’s job market is complex, but one thing is clear: construction is a standout career choice. The industry offers multiple careers of choice for job seekers who want high-demand, well-compensated and rewarding employment with opportunities to climb the career ladder.
The latest data from Associated Builders and Contractors show that a chronic workforce shortage persists in construction, meaning opportunities for job seekers are abundant, especially in the commercial and industrial segments. The industry needs to attract 349,000 new workers in 2026 to meet demand for construction services.
The industry needs to bring in fewer workers than in recent years due to modest construction spending growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 and other macroeconomic dynamics like an aging workforce.
This dip in our industry’s worker shortage offers lawmakers and industry leaders three practical lessons that can create a brighter future for the people who want to build America.
First, deploying ABC’s all-of-the-above workforce development strategy to bring new workers into the industry and educate them through both industry-driven and government-registered apprenticeship programs is essential.
Build a Career with Your Hands
Train for a high-demand trade, skip the debt, and start learning real skills that lead to real jobs.
If you’re considering your educational future and weighing your options, ABC SoCal’s Trade School could be the perfect choice for you.
Learn MoreABC SoCal is addressing Southern California’s ongoing demand for skilled construction talent by delivering workforce development programs that connect people to real careers and help contractors build stronger teams. With hiring needs remaining high across the region, especially for electrical, plumbing, and low-voltage professionals, ABC SoCal provides structured training pathways that support long-term career growth while strengthening the commercial and industrial construction workforce.
At the center of this effort is ABC SoCal’s state- and federally approved Apprenticeship Program, which combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction. Apprentices earn while they learn through up to 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, supported by consistent, scheduled coursework designed to build both technical skill and jobsite readiness.
Apprenticeship opens the doors to the life you want
Education & Training
Millions of employees are secure in their craft professional career path and making a good living because they have hands-on experience and technical knowledge!
Learn MoreApprenticeship, Craft Training, and Career Access in Southern California
ABC SoCal also offers flexible education options through its Craft Training Program (CTP), helping contractors upskill employees while reinforcing safety, performance, and professionalism on the jobsite. In addition, ABC SoCal supports electrical workforce development through the Electrician Certification Trainee Program (ECTP), which helps Electrical Trainees meet state requirements by enrolling in a state-approved school and registering with the State of California in order to work in the field.
To expand access and create more entry points into the industry, ABC SoCal Trade School gives students a practical, career-focused alternative to traditional college, emphasizing hands-on learning and direct pathways into high-demand construction work.
Through these combined pathways, ABC SoCal continues to educate apprentices and trainees each year using an employer-connected “earn while you learn” model that builds a skilled workforce, supports local hiring needs, and creates rewarding career opportunities across Southern California.
The Path Forward: Upskilling and Workforce Solutions
Two, upskilling workers on rapidly evolving technologies is vital.
Three, federal lawmakers should introduce a new market-based worker visa system for construction, which would strengthen border security, close loopholes to curb abuse of the asylum system and include a robust vetting process.
It’s a pivotal moment for an industry in need of skilled job seekers To shrink the shortage and introduce new talent to construction’s rewarding career paths, now is the time for action—not complacency. In this complex job market, construction is hiring.
