b'requires intense coordination between all players on the "Attracting those dollars helps amplify the message. If we\'refield. Today, the industry is facing an issue that affects only reaching a few kids, we\'re not going to make mucheveryone in the business a labor shortage. progress in terms of the labor shortage. We need to get intohigh schools and community colleges, as well as connect"There\'s a much greater awareness that this is not a with young adults who many have jobs but not careers," shetemporary blip. If we don\'t fix it, it could last for quite a long says. time, especially when you look at the portion of theworkforce that is aging out over the next decade," says Tom Dunn, president of Arizona Builders Alliance (ABA), saysSuzanne Kinney, president and CEO of the Arizona chapter that his organization\'s relationship with BYFAZ gives theof NAIOP. "Developers are realizing that this is not a one-off initiative access to more than 325 companies that make upproblem with a particular contractor. It\'s happening to all of ABA and represent a broad range of the industry.them. That\'s capturing the attention of investors, who aresinking a lot of money into projects and need to start "With our partnership with Build Your Future Arizona, we\'rerealizing returns within a reasonable and predictable looking to provide pathways to construction careers. Theseamount of time." can range from introductory jobs all the way to architectsand engineers," he explains. "It\'s a huge swath of peopleThat\'s why NAIOP became a partner of Build Your Future we\'re chasing after so they can see what\'s available to them."Arizona (BYFAZ), an initiative from Greater Phoenix ChamberFoundation focused on spreading awareness about Another organization that recently partnered with BYFAZ ispathways in the trades and helping people transition into a Western Electrical Contractors Association (WECA). Inconstruction career. January 2021, the association opened its first apprenticeshiptraining facility in Phoenix."The whole concept with Build Your Future is to get in frontof potential students and individuals and encourage them to "Our founding member contractor in Arizona, Corbinstransition or work in the construction industry," explains Paul Electric, is involved with Build Your Future Arizona andSanders, workforce development manager for the Greater connected us with them," says Michelle Gilkey, director ofPhoenix Chamber Foundation. He notes that two groups are marketing, learning, and product for WECA. "We felt anintegral to the mission of BYFAZ: investors and partners. The alliance with their mission this idea of creating aformer are companies that make an annual financial sustainable skilled craft workforce and expanding awarenesscommitment between $5,000 and $50,000. around training opportunities. Because we provide a careerpath with our apprenticeship program, it was a naturalPartners, on the other hand, are organizations that have a match."vested interest in the construction industry and agree tospread the word about BYFAZ to their members. SHARING RESPONSIBILITY"Industry associations such as NAIOP encourage their The source of the current demand for construction labor,members to become investors. More people are recognizing according to Dunn, dates back to 2008 when the Greatthat we need to feed and nurture this talent pipeline, or it\'s Recession ravaged the economy. going to hobble everyone," Sanders says."About one-third of our workforce disappeared, and it hasn\'tBUILDING PARTNERSHIPS come back. Because of that, combined with the number ofBaby Boomers who are retiring, there is huge opportunity inFor Kinney, she says that NAIOP\'s partnership with BYFAZ the industry for advancement. Once we can explain this tostarted after a trusted member reached out to her about the the younger generation, they can see the possibilities andinitiative. She was immediately interested since the shortage the pathway to success."of skilled workers is one of the primary pain points she hearsfrom general and subcontractors. Kinney notes that there is a chasm present in the marketright now. "But it really doesn\'t end there," she points out. "If thecontractors can\'t get the skilled workers they need to "You have people who aren\'t on a sustainable career path,complete a project, that will result in delays and increased and then there all these open positions. I think there\'scosts for developers and investors as well, who form the growing recognition that solving this problem is going to falllargest segment of our membership." on employers and schools and, of course, there\'s alwaysindividual responsibility," she says. "But we can\'t leave it toIn June 2021, NAIOP finalized its partnership with BYFAZ. individuals to figure it out on their own. People need theWhile the initiative does a good job at reaching out to information and resources to understand what they must docontractors, Kinney notes that she\'s able to provide to gain the necessary skills."introductions to NAIOP members who are not yet investors.'