Mid-Cape Home Centers Helping Young People Find Careers on Cape Cod

In the near future, there will be a shortage of skilled workers in the USA. Labor Department data show that demand for masonry workers is expected to grow 15% from 2014 to 2024. The trend continues for other skilled positions. For instance, demand for electricians is set to grow 14% over that same 10-year period while demand for roofers and plumbers is expected to grow by 13% and 12% respectively.

Nationwide, 1.3 million jobs in the construction trades will need to be replaced in the coming years due to retirement, but the problem is that there are not many young people choosing to enter the professions.

 At a workforce development forum at Cape Cod Community College in June 2017, contractors and vocational education officials stressed that there are good, high paying jobs across the industry, but they need to get to people at even younger ages if they’re going to replenish the jobs that need to be filled.  The national average age of a carpenter is 59, so the need for construction professionals will continue to grow.

 “We are having an extremely tough time filling jobs, not just with bodies, but with folks that have a strong work ethic and can see the future in the trade,” said Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod Executive Director Christine Duren.

 The need is nationwide, but some Cape Cod communities are looking to fill the gap, as a new $143 million technical high school is being planned in Harwich to replace the existing tech school. Building Committee Chairman Charles Sumner says, “..the school trains students in professions like plumbing, carpentry, culinary arts that are needed in Cape communities.” Their hope is that a modernized, flexible learning environment can help address these types of changes in demand in the future, and that there will always be a ready supply of students looking to start their careers on the Cape.

One local company that is keeping an eye on these students is Mid-Cape Home Centers, as they have recently maintained a presence at several career fairs around the Cape. A family run organization on the Cape since 1895, Mid-Cape understands the importance of professional builders and tradespeople as they make up the majority of their customer base. However, as part of a commitment to ensure young people from Cape Cod understand the job market for skilled laborers, they also see it as a mechanism to highlight other ways that students can utilize their trade knowledge.

In the last two months, Mid-Cape Home Centers have been discussing careers at UMass Dartmouth, Barnstable High School, D-Y High School, Cape Cod Tech, Nauset Regional High, and the Cape & Islands Job Fair at Hyannis Community Centers. In addition to providing a sounding board of industry professionals for students to talk to, Mid-Cape also gives students a chance to try out an interactive maze that offers students the opportunity to explore careers based on their interests.

Heidi Kiewel-Spencer, Training Manager at Mid-Cape Home Centers weighs in… “We created the maze to help the participants of the HBRACC Residential Career Day event visualize all the different options available with Mid-Cape.  Most people know us as a lumber yard, but we are so much more than sticks of wood.  Between all our locations, we have almost 100 different roles within our company.  As a high school student, how could you imagine what is happening behind the scenes of Mid-Cape Home Centers?  The maze asks about your interests and your personality.  Based on your answers at each step, we can begin to match your interests to our many positions within the Company.”

Those entering the maze are asked a series of questions which guide them down different paths such as: Do you prefer working indoors or outdoors? Do you strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere? Or do you prefer to work in a small group? By understanding their strengths, talents, and unique characteristics, students are able to identify careers in the building industry that would be a good fit. The Career Maze has been highly requested since its debut at the HBRACC Career Day in 2016.

Barbara Meyers, Director of HR and Professional Development said “Mid-Cape Home Centers is very excited to be involved in these local career fairs.  First, and foremost, we want to let people know that there are viable career options for people that want to live and work on Cape Cod.  Secondly, we want the community to know that we are a stable and growing business that seeks to hire and develop people within the community.  Lastly, we want to give back to the community that we live and work in.  We want to be part of the long-term success and growth of the local contractors and consumers that do business with us; the success of our partners is as important to us as the success of our team and our company.”

Mid-Cape Home Centers believes it’s important to work with the next generation so that local jobs can go to local people. And events like these can help young people consider careers they otherwise wouldn’t have. Rich Grout, Vice President of Shipping and Operations at Mid-Cape Home Centers, believes that more teenagers entering skilled positions benefits everyone in the industry. “It’s always been gratifying to me to see a young man or woman join our team direct from high school and watch them develop their desired skillset and head down a career path that benefits us all. A common theme I have always heard over the years from the tradesman is “I just can’t find enough skilled help.” Many times established framers or carpenters will call me directly asking if I know of anybody looking for work and many times they are willing to train the right person with the right attitude,” says Grout.

However Mid-Cape Home Center doesn’t wait until students are picking higher education choices, they are a front runner in community events that introduce construction and building to younger kids too. Mid-Cape Home Centers is a proud sponsor of the Children’s Lego Home Building Competition. The 4th annual event was held on April 24 where 50 participants age 5-12 had hands on experience of building a home. They were given 600 Legos and 45 minutes plus a few specialty pieces such as windows. A “building inspector” came by to approve the projects or point out structural problems. After prizes were awarded, each creation underwent a “controlled demolition.” Young builders even wore hard hats during the build!

While the market continues to grow for skilled workers, Mid-Cape Home Centers is doing its part to ensure Cape Cod will be ready to fill the gap.  For those people that want a full-time, year-round job on Cape Cod, Mid-Cape Home Centers can be a great option. Click here to find out more.

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