A new report released Tuesday about the state of Hawaiʻi's construction industry is titled "New Foundations: Laying the Groundwork for Hawaiʻi's Middle-class Renewal and Revival of the Trades."
The Pacific Resource Partnership is behind the development report. Interim Director Josh Magno said the construction industry has been "in the throes of a very healthy upcycle" for the past 10 years.
The industry is expected to generate $10 billion for the local economy over the next three to four years. But there are concerns about available labor within the workforce, which Magno calls "our great crew change."
"As folks retire out of the trades, it's more important for us to fill that pipeline of workers with young, energetic, both men and women, who are interested in the industry," Magno said.
To encourage local young people to consider joining the industry, the 16th Annual Hawaiʻi Construction Career Days expects approximately 1,400 students from across the state. The event is at the Aloha Stadium lower Hālawa lot on Sept. 19 and 20.
"For a lot of these kids looking at this industry, it's a pretty drastic realization that you're going to be working hard, you're going to be running all day. And so that's why it's really important for us to have these programs early on that expose these kids to the hard work, the physicality of the work," he said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Sept. 17, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
