ABC National Craft Championships Showcases Talent Pipeline
The construction labor shortage statistics are sobering, but new data shows how Associated Builders and Contractors is working to stem the tide—in other words, to get new people into the industry, provide education, and guide them toward a job and a dream. 
ABC commissioned management consulting firm FMI to conduct a survey to quantify the scope of workforce development initiatives by member contractors. The results show that ABC members invested $1.6 billion to educate their employees in 2018, up from $1.1 billion in 2013. Firms with annual revenue below $10 million accounted for nearly two-thirds of all education investment, and trade/craft personnel accounted for 61 percent of those educated across all contractor types.
ABC’s pledge to educate 500,000 American workers over the next five years is supported by a network of chapter (and affiliated) training centers in 1,400 locations across the country offering more than 800 apprenticeship, craft, safety and management education programs—including more than 300 U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship programs.
The ABC National Craft Championships (NCC) brings these investments to life every year by showcasing the tremendous talent that is being fostered across the country. Considering the competitors’ award-winning NCC performances, the industry is in good hands.
