James E. Rooney

Multiple recent public opinion polls found that housing is a top issue for voters heading into Boston’s upcoming mayoral election, but without addressing the commonwealth’s shortage of skilled trades workers, the winner’s ability to make progress on housing production goals will be limited, at best. 

It’s not just a political problem, either. Our region’s ability to construct enough housing is directly related to our ability to attract and retain a growing workforce and maintain our economic competitiveness. To develop the construction workforce pipeline needed to help sustain the region’s growth, Massachusetts must eliminate growing and inequitable waitlists for career/vocational technical education (CVTE) high schools.   

Massachusetts’ construction industry faces a troubling skills gap driven by both an aging workforce and the inability to develop enough workers to fill job openings stemming from retirements and job growth.  

Between 2004 and 2019, the share of Massachusetts workers in the construction industry aged 65 and older almost doubled, from 4.2 percent of the industry’s workforce to 8 percent of the workforce. During the same period, the proportion of construction industry workers under the age of 25 fell by a third, from 15.8 percent of the industry’s workforce to 10.6 percent.  

To fill the jobs left vacant by a retiring workforce, Massachusetts must prioritize training the next generation of construction industry workers. A growing scarcity of skilled construction workers contributes to increased construction costs and elevated housing prices, and Boston already is the 7th most expensive market to build in globally due to high labor costs. Any effort to expand Massachusetts’ training capacity should incorporate the state’s increasingly popular CVTE high schools.  

Huge Gap in Training, Needs 

Massachusetts’ CVTE high schools currently do not graduate enough students to fill current or anticipated construction industry job openings created by its aging workforce or industry growth.  

In school year 2020, 2,517 grade 12 students statewide enrolled in a construction CVTE program, including pathways in carpentry, electricity, plumbing, HVAC and refrigeration and sheet metal working, among others. The number of students who can enter the industry in a given year is a fraction of the approximately 17,000 annual construction industry job openings projected by the state through 2028. This gap means there is more room to develop homegrown talent for in-demand jobs while creating a pipeline that is robust enough to meet employer demand. These skills gaps are widespread and impact jobs across the industry, from electricians and plumbers to sheet metal workers and carpenters. 

One reason for the talent shortage is that there are massive waitlists for Massachusetts’ CVTE high schools, preventing thousands of students from acquiring skills for in-demand trades. A 2021 state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education survey found that there are 1.75 CVTE applicants for every available classroom seat, resulting in a waitlist of almost 8,000 students statewide.  

Eliminating waitlists and increasing CVTE capacity requires new investments in building infrastructure – classrooms, equipment, and workspace – and increasing the number of teachers with industry expertise.  

$3B to Invest in Schools 

The 28 business groups from across the state that comprise the Massachusetts Business Coalition on Skills – which the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce initiated earlier this year – support a legislative proposal before state lawmakers that authorizes $3 billion in state bonds for school expansions and CVTE infrastructure improvements.  

By expanding school footprints, Massachusetts can help close skills gap in construction and other industries by enrolling more students than they do now. Further, districts can use bond money to upgrade construction equipment used to train students to reflect new technology and industry demand, such as the need for workers trained in net-zero construction and retrofitting practices. 

To recruit more CVTE teachers, the Coalition supports piloting novel teaching models, such as hiring adjuncts that provide technical instruction to students while remaining employed within industry. Providing this flexibility opens up the pool of potential teachers to include those who are reluctant to leave their current job. Importantly, the adjunct structure will ensure students receive training from industry professionals.  

Undeniably, CVTE schools alone are unable train the state’s entire construction workforce, and solely eliminating waitlists will not close the industry’s skills gaps. But expanding access to these schools’ career-aligned curriculum not only benefits industry, it can expand economic opportunity and diversify the industry’s workforce. CVTE waitlists disproportionately impact students of color, English language learners, the economically disadvantaged and students with disabilities because they receive fewer offers of admission to the limited supply of CVTE seats compared to their peers.  

Our commonwealth and the city of Boston need to successfully address – and solve – the construction workforce challenges. Eliminating waitlists at CTVE schools should be an urgent priority. Students hindered by these long waitlists deserve a seat in the classroom, so they can access in-demand skills and expand their job opportunities. Employers in the construction industry are also ready for skilled, home-grown and diverse talent to fuel their industry’s demand. Policymakers can and should take steps now to create this pipeline and provide economic opportunity. 

James E. Rooney is president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.