With metro Milwaukee’s building boom in high gear and
more office and residential projects on the way, just about any skilled
construction worker who wants a job probably has one this Labor Day, industry
professionals say.
The men and women who drive the piles, erect the
steel beams, frame the interiors, install the drywall and perform dozens
of other vital tasks are in demand.
“Obviously, we’re in the go-go days of construction right
now, as I like to refer to it,” said Mike Fabishak, chief executive of
Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee Inc. It’s a building surge
that should keep many construction workers busy for years to come.
About 109,000 Wisconsin residents were working in the
construction industry at the end of 2016, up from 90,000 in 2010, according to
the state Department of Workforce Development. In July, more than
112,000 people were involved in construction work.
Over the past few years, thousands of those jobs have
been concentrated in downtown Milwaukee.
So far, about 2,000 people have participated on
work related to the new Milwaukee Bucks arena, which is about half
finished.
It took 2,600 workers to build the just-completed
32-story Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons. Nearby, the insurer’s
under-construction 34-floor apartment high rise, called 7Seventy7, is
employing about 280 workers right now.
Among other job-generating projects:
- At the former Pabst brewery complex, Hyatt Place, a $27 million, 150-room hotel, is planned.
- Vim and Vigor apartments, a 274-unit, $40 million development, also will be located in the old Pabst property.
- The 25-story BMO Harris Financial Center is to be built on the site of the parking garage of the old Marshall & Ilsley Corp. building — now BMO Harris Bank — downtown.
- Construction on the 44-story, 312-unit lakefront Couture apartment skyscraper could start by the end of 2017.
“My best estimate would be that at least for the next
five years, and possibly 10 years, there is a very strong workload in the state
of Wisconsin within construction,” said Tony Mayrhofer, business manager for
Iron Workers Local 8, which has about 100 members working at the Bucks arena
site.
Fabishak said southeastern Wisconsin seems to be keeping
up with the demand for construction workers, thanks in part to a local training
program that prepares people for the jobs.
Known as WRTP/BIG STEP, it is a joint effort of the
Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership and the Building Industry Skilled
Trades Employment Program, which is an apprenticeship readiness, tutoring and
training program aimed at helping local residents succeed in construction
trades careers.
But more workers will be needed, Fabishak said. The
results of a survey released last week by the Associated General Contractors of
America indicated Wisconsin and the United States alike are finding it
harder to fill construction jobs.
The state portion of the survey, taken in July and early
August among 22 member firms in Wisconsin, showed 73% were having trouble
filling hourly craft positions and that most were planning to hire for
expansion. The toughest craft position to fill was carpenters, with 67% listing
them as hardest to obtain.
State officials also say the construction industry is in
growth mode here.
“Long-term projections show growth in the state's
construction industry by nearly 12% from 2014-2024, underscoring the need for
continued collaboration with the construction industry to find and train the
talent needed,” said John Dipko, spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of
Workforce Development.
The forecast doesn't include construction of a possible
Foxconn Technology Group liquid crystal display panel production
complex that might need 20 million square feet of buildings.
'A robust pool of
skilled workers'
Dipko said that during the past four years, Wisconsin has
invested more than $362 million in state funding to grow and support the
workforce. Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed 2017-'19 budget includes $140 million
on development investments, he said.
State officials have worked with technical colleges,
universities, the construction industry and others to support “a robust pool of
skilled workers in the construction trades today and into the future,” Dipko
said.
City of Milwaukee officials are using construction growth
to help launch unemployed or underemployed residents into careers in the
industry through its Residents Preference Program. RPP certification is
meant to promote the use of city residents as part of a contractor’s or
developer's workforce on certain city-funded construction and private
development projects. Contractors bidding on public works or development
projects financed with public tax money must hire a percentage of RPP workers,
typically 40%.
Of the 2,600 people who built the Northwestern Mutual
Tower and Commons, about 1,200 were local residents hired through RPP.
Northwestern Mutual’s 7Seventy7 apartment tower doesn’t
officially participate in the RPP program, “but we have had numerous workers
from the program involved in construction,” said company spokeswoman Betsy
Hoylman.
Milwaukee Ald. Russell W. Stamper II said
incentives in the RPP program focus on hiring people from economically
distressed ZIP codes to apprenticeships. But it will take “a massive
outreach” by contractors, developers and public officials to make the most of
the opportunity that exists during the wave of building projects, he said.
“The next 10 to 12 years, it’s construction. Right now is
a prime opportunity to develop a career in the construction industry,” Stamper
said.
The pay for construction positions often is better than
for many jobs that also are in demand and don’t require a college degree.
For example, under the current labor agreement between
Iron Workers Local 8 and a group of contractors, workers who reach journeyman
status — after on-the-job apprentice training — are paid $33.19 an hour. With
benefits and pension, the hourly compensation amounts to $60.79, said the
union’s Mayrhofer. Apprentices start at 60% of journeyman pay, and get
increases as they progress.
“One of the things that unions try to do is make sure
that the workforce within the trades will be able to sustain their families,
take care of their families,” Mayrhofer said.
Arena project is leader
The work isn’t for everybody.
“This is hard work. It’s not for the faint of heart,”
Fabishak said. “The people who work in this industry undoubtedly earn their
money.”
Among projects now underway, nothing is generating more
construction jobs than the Milwaukee Bucks arena and its
affiliated facilities. Bucks-related projects include the $524 million
arena, a new parking structure that is under construction and a $30
million practice facility that opened in August.
Work on the arena itself has employed the most people.
Early in the year, a couple hundred, primarily iron workers, were on the site.
That portion of the project is winding down and work is ramping up on the
interior. Amenities such as escalators, plumbing and electrical networks, and
heating and cooling are being set in place.
The arena will be sealed up to the elements by November,
and employment will grow from about 700 now to about 800, according to
officials with construction manager Mortenson.
Work began on the arena in the summer of 2016 and the
facility is expected to open in time for the 2018-‘19 NBA season. The arena is
being built with $250 million in public money.
With such a tight construction schedule, Mortenson works
closely with subcontractors and unions so that all are aware of employment
needs as work moves along, said Jesse Kemp, Mortenson senior project manager.
“It’s definitely a challenge to find all of these
qualified people,” Kemp said. “We knew coming in that it was something we
needed to keep a close eye on.”
More than a year ago, Mortenson’s construction schedule
called for roof beams to be lifted on specific days during the summer of 2017,
a timeline that company officials say they have met.
Data from that schedule is used to determine equipment and
manpower needs, Kemp said.
“We try to keep an open dialogue with everyone about when
and how many workers we are going to need.”
In all, some 2,000 workers have participated in the arena
construction.
Work is expected to begin soon on a fourth aspect of the
Bucks complex, the Live Block entertainment space, which will include bars,
restaurants and public space just east of the new arena.
The Bucks have received praise for honoring commitments
to provide jobs for lesser-skilled city residents on the arena project. The
Bucks have also worked to encourage interest in construction trades with
outreach efforts at Bradley Tech high school.
In addition, they have worked with Froedtert and the
Medical College of Wisconsin to create a new laboratory at Carmen High School
of Science and Technology’s Northwest Campus to help students and adults
develop skills for work in the health and information technologies fields.
Workforce Development’s Dipko said the construction industry
has been a leader in outreach to veterans, former offenders, the underemployed
and others who have faced employment barriers.
“The construction industry offers family-supporting jobs
and a pathway to the middle class,” he said.
Source: USA
Today / Journal Sentinal
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