Industry Labor Shortage Compounded by Image Problem

As the construction industry battles a skilled labor shortage, it confronts another, perhaps more difficult, battle over image. Of the 250 professions compared in the sixth edition of the Jobs Rated Almanac: The Best and Worst Jobs, the job of construction worker ranked 244th; seamen and taxi drivers ranked lower. An executive with the American Council for Construction Education believes that even construction management positions, which require a college degree, feel the sting of negative stereotyping. Programs that educate high school students about the industry or underwrite college-based construction management programs try to project a positive image of the industry.