Photo Credit: Illustration: Michelle Thompson
View part one in series: Off the Radar
View part two in series: Back on Track
There are a million stories in the U.S. residential remodeling industry, and every one began with an introduction to the profession.
For some, it was a relative who made a living in the trades. Others might have started with an encouraging building-arts teacher, a summer job doing construction, or the simple realization that they loved working with wood and seeing a building come together.
As contemporary life squeezes out these introductions, diminishing the chances of young people being exposed to the trades, remodelers might draw inspiration from other professions that have confronted workforce shortages of their own.
What could the remodeling industry accomplish if its stakeholders did the same, harnessing their collective energy, creativity, and financial resources to ignite a sense of national excitement about the profession?
It's a big hypothetical. But given the labor crisis that awaits, in the absence of coordinated action, it might be worth dreaming about.
The American College of the Building Arts: a Photo Essay.
Photo Credit: Illustration: Michelle Thompson
NURSING'S SHOT IN THE ARM
As with remodeling, the facts about nursing are often at odds with the public perception. In reality, both professions offer pathways to many fascinating and specialized careers, characterized by lifelong learning, hands-on work that is gratifying and personal, and the security of having an expertise that is virtually immune to outsourcing.
The public sees something else. Like the stereotypical unwashed, uneducated construction worker, nurses are often assumed to have little advanced training, authority, or upward mobility in their careers — women, for the most part, often depicted cartoon-ishly by popular culture: from the bedside angel to the battle-axe to the porn star.
Focused efforts to set the record straight have helped attract a new generation of nurses to a profession that badly needs them.
"Nursing has had to struggle for its identity," says Beth Brooks, a registered nurse who is also senior partner for health care at J. Walter Thompson Inside, the employment marketing division of the global advertising agency. In response to a worldwide nursing shortage that began in the 1990s, her company and a number of other organizations have undertaken a variety of initiatives aimed at rekindling interest in the profession.
While noting that nursing and remodeling are very different in many ways, "the parallels are more than ironic," Brooks says. Consider:
Scope of challenge: As with remodeling, an exodus of aging baby boomers threatens to deplete much of the nursing workforce. Meanwhile, demand for nurses increases as the population ages and expands, health care technologies become increasingly complex, and medicine grows more specialized. More than half of U.S. nurses intend to retire between 2011 and 2020. The average registered nurse vacancy rate was 16.1% in 2005. The U.S. will need more than 1.2 million new nurses by 2014. (Source for all these statistics: Nursing Shortage Fact Sheet, American Association of Colleges of Nursing.)
Image problems: Besides the demeaning stereotypes already noted, nurses' work can be difficult and demoralizing. Specific factors that have suppressed interest — and fostered burnout in hands-on nursing jobs — include increased workloads, short-staffing, poor work conditions, and lack of respect from physicians.
What's worked for nursing: Brooks attributes success to raising the visibility of the profession, along with "clarifying misperceptions and debunking myths." Real people star in some of the more successful efforts. A key element of the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing (www.discovernursing.com), for instance, is "profiles in nursing" — vignettes showcasing several dozen working male and female nurses who work in a range of specialties all over the country, telling their stories in affecting, first-person narratives. These profiles are also featured on posters that are free to employers.
A major target is career changers, in particular professionals who have been downsized out of jobs in sectors such as manufacturing and the airlines. Some campaigns specifically target men, such as the state of Oregon's award-winning posters that ask: "Are you man enough to be a nurse?"
Parents, educators, and other adult influencers are also targeted. "Some of our clients have asked us to build out sections on their Web sites geared to elementary students and their parents," Brooks says. The goal is to show the many careers that nursing can lead to: hospital CEO, operating room manager, community health nurse, pharmaceutical consultant, attorney, etc. Employers are also whetting students' appetites with nursing-specific summer camps, career days, job-shadowing opportunities, and "junior volunteer" programs that support hands-on service learning.
Notably, many nursing outreach materials are available in Spanish and feature a diversity of nurses: men and women of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
Acknowledgements: Major nursing initiatives are backed by deep-pocketed organizations such as Johnson & Johnson and regional health care centers. But Brooks notes that nursing, like remodeling, is too fragmented to have a single coherent voice. She estimates that less than 10% of the nation's 2.9 million nurses belong to the American Nursing Association. However, there are many specialized nursing organizations — for oncology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, etc. — "and they enjoy robust and active memberships," she says.
Caveats: Beware of unintended consequences. The nursing campaigns have been so successful that "they've created a new problem," Brooks says: too many nursing students for too few nursing school faculty, whose average age is 55. Thousands of qualified nursing school applicants are turned away or wait-listed each year. Brooks cautions remodelers to have adequate teachers and training, such as apprenticeship programs, in place before undertaking a major career-branding initiative. "Close that loop," she says.
Photo Credit: Illustration: Michelle Thompson
THE MARINES' MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Here's a riddle for remodelers convinced that the next-generation workforce doesn't want to report for duty early every morning, get dirty, or work slowly up the ladder. How does the U.S. Marine Corps consistently meet its recruitment goals when the reality of life after enlistment includes 13 grueling weeks of boot camp, modest pay, and probable deployment to a war zone?
A fair answer might be the full backing of the U.S. government, including a multimillion-dollar marketing and advertising contract with J. Walter Thompson. Look beyond the money, however, and the Marines' success in convincing young men and women to join its constantly churning ranks provides compelling ideas for the remodeling industry.
Scope of challenge: With a goal of 202,000 active-duty Marines by the end of fiscal year 2011, and reasonably high attrition, the Marine Corps must attract thousands of new recruits each year. In the last fiscal year ending September 30, the recruiting goal was nearly 41,000. "We got 100.06% of our mission," says Major Wes Hayes of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command.
What's worked for the Marines:
Recruitment focuses on young men and women ages 17 to 24, Hayes says, but other key targets include parents and ex-Marines interested in re-enlisting. The Corps has 3,050 recruiters dispersed nationwide, along with 48 recruiting stations. There's no obscuring the facts of enlistment, Hayes says; recruiters openly discuss the rigors of training and the likelihood that enlistees will be deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, or a similarly dangerous part of the world.
Anticipating parental concerns, a parents' guide on www.our.marines.com (also in Spanish) emphasizes the transformation of sons and daughters into self-reliant "quality citizens" who can later launch successful careers in civilian life. The guide also provides discussion points for families and showcases benefits such as free housing, health care, education, and 30 days' paid vacation. In addition, parents can order free materials such as a DVD featuring footage of parents of Marines.
"Be like me" recruitment is integral to these efforts. The notion of the power of one takes on greater significance when the work is as famously hard-core as the Marines. "It's Marines recruiting Marines," Hayes says. Recruiting officers speak to their own life-changing experiences among the few and proud, and profiles on www.our.marines.com (including a user-generated "share your story" feature) present dozens of personal accounts from current and former Marines.
New media outreach is becoming increasingly integral. "We keep up with the times," Hayes says. For example, the Corps advertises on MySpace; "you can be a friend of the Marine Corps if you take in all the core values," he says. Televised appearances at sporting events and community development projects reach huge groups of young people, and recruiting commercials showcase the Corps' use of technology. Most are viewable on www.our.marines.com.
Photo Credit: Illustration: Michelle Thompson
TEACHING'S CLASSROOM BREAKTHROUGH
Teaching shortages and recruiting strategies are locally driven, and a comprehensive look at the profession's attempts to bring more dynamic leaders into the classroom would require an army of reporters deployed to hundreds of school districts. The big picture, however, is that teaching is getting a cool new sheen thanks to various initiatives aimed at improving the profession's image, the quality and training of teachers, and the actual classroom experience.
Scope of challenge: Soaring student enrollments and high turnover contribute to chronic teacher shortages. State education departments expected to need 62,000 new teachers in the 2004-05 school year, bringing the total to more than 3.1 million. Every year, 16% of teaching positions turn over and nearly 8% of teachers retire from or otherwise leave the profession. (Source: National Education Association.)
Math and science teachers are especially needed: 59% of public secondary schools reported vacancies in math teaching positions in 2003-04, according to the National Science Board.
Image problems: This may sound familiar to remodelers lamenting the good old days of society actually looking up to skilled tradespeople: "Once regarded as a noble profession, teaching is now too often seen as a thankless career pursued only by those who have no other options," according to an NEA report on teacher recruitment and retention strategies. Specific sources of this perception include media coverage about overcrowded, underfunded, and/or dangerous schools; underfunded testing mandates; and compensation that actually declined, adjusting for inflation, in 28 states in the decade starting 1994-95, the NEA says.
What's worked for teaching: One of the most dramatic developments has been the positioning of teaching as a résumé builder, not necessarily a lifelong occupation. Some dynamic teacher-recruitment efforts focus on attracting gifted people for even a few years, where they can both contribute to the greater good and gain valuable real-world experience that will look good on their résumé.
For instance, Teach for America, a nonprofit group that encourages top college graduates to teach in low-income communities, requires only two-year teaching commitments. Partnerships with major employers let students defer job offers while they teach. Despite being novices, Teach for America "corps" members have made a positive impact in their schools, say 94% of principals.
Raising the bar appears to inspire steep competition for teaching positions. Teach for America is so selective that in 2007 it accepted just 21% of more than 18,000 applicants, many of whom had graduated from prestigious colleges.
A number of programs have helped to offset teaching's famously modest pay. Amanda Farris, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, says effective federal initiatives have included "forgiveness" of student loans, with an emphasis on tough assignments in high-poverty schools, and performance pay for achievement gains.
More financial incentives are offered at the state and local levels. Teach for America members are eligible for forgiveness of qualified student loans along with nearly $5,000 a year for further education. Many school districts and states further sweeten the pot. Some offer signing bonuses forcritical-demand subject areas and hard-to-staff schools. Housing subsidies include reduced rent/utilities, housing in district-owned homes, low-interest home loans, and relocation assistance.
As with nursing, "there's a whole generation of midcareer professionals who are interested in teaching," Farris notes. Valuing their real-world experience and hoping to expedite the sometimes onerous route to licensure, various approaches to "alternative certification" induce people to leave other careers or, in the case of retired teachers, to return to the classroom. "Grow your own" programs move paraprofessionals such as teachers' aides and substitute teachers into certified teaching positions.
As with virtually every profession, technology has also helped attract new teachers. States and school districts are turning their Web sites into one-stop recruitment centers, with online applications and detailed information about vacancies, pay, and benefits.
Teachers recruiting teachers play a vital role. Similar to the profiles on the Marines' Web site, NEA's "I Am an Educator" program lets educators upload videos about what inspires them to teach to the organization's channel on YouTube. "Teacher to Teacher," sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, includes workshops, mentoring programs, and teacher-recognition programs designed to strengthen the profession's support networks.
SIDEBARS
Vocabulary TestIn an era of coffee shop baristas and auto shop technicians, there's an argument to be made that remodeling titles such as "laborers" and "helpers" sound distinctly old-school. Marketing consultant David Alpert suggests considering language that speaks more to the dynamism, skills, and growth opportunities that have become inherent in remodeling work.
How about, for instance, construction assistant, residential construction technician, associate carpenter, or building science apprentice?
Alpert is president of Continuum Marketing Group, which has many clients in the remodeling industry. Looking outside the construction sector, he cites a litany of job titles that "have been pushed into the vocabulary" to shed negative connotations, resonate with a new generation, elicit respect, and/or more accurately reflect the jobs' status and responsibilities.
"You never see people advertising for a 'secretary' anymore," Alpert says. "It's all 'administrative assistant' or 'executive assistant'" ? titles that connote the higher-level work that these positions often entail. Similarly, "many people don'twant to be called a 'salesman,' so you have 'sales associates,' 'sales consultants,' 'account executives,'" and so on. Others:
Restaurant server, not waiter or waitress;Sanitation engineer, not sewer worker;Service technician, not repairman;Retail associate, not clerk or salesperson; andBuilding engineer, not superintendent.
Alpert also points out companies that have nurtured wholesome images by — among other things — rebranding their workforce as a whole. You won't find any "carnies" at Disney World, for instance. Instead, they're called "cast members." —L.T.
The New Old SchoolOne of the most ambitious efforts to restore respect for the skilled trades and create a new generation of master craftspeople is deliberately small in scope. With all of 45 students now in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years, the three-year-old American College of the Building Arts, in Charleston, S.C., has an exceedingly low instructor-to-student ratio and no more than eight students per major.
Photo Credit: Logo: Courtesy American College of the Building Arts
Students don't major in broad construction topics but in: architectural metal, architectural stone, carpentry, masonry, plaster working, or timber framing. Instead of taking notes from the back of lecture halls, they spend 20 hoursa week in hands-on workshops. Instead of being barely known to teachers, students often work with master artisans one-on-one. Instead of studying abstract academic theories, they learn about history, science, business, economics, language, and civics as they apply to the building trades.
"We cover all the topics of a typical liberal arts education but everything is very much focused on the building arts," says Deborah Bowman, director of enrollment and student services. More arts college than vo-tech school, the four-year program is academically and physically rigorous, she says, as well as expensive, at around $20,000 a year for tuition alone.
But the students are "amazing," she says, as are the faculty and corporate supporters. "They fell in love with the concept, and they get what they're doing." Learn more at www.buildingartscollege.us. —L.T.
Crafty ThinkingIn lieu of a national effort to ignite interest in the construction trades, remodelers might want to look to Fort Collins, Colo., where the upstart National Center for Craftsmanship aims to develop next-generation craftspeople one community at a time.
Photo Credit: Logo: Courtesy National Center for Craftsmanship
"We know the challenge has been four decades in the making," says Neil Kaufman, director of the nonprofit organization. "It will probably also take at least that long to turn it around."
A few years ago, he and a colleague brainstormed NCC as a possible solution to a crisis that Kaufman become aware of in the late '90s as a graduate student studying construction management. Concerned that U.S. culture was rapidly losing its connection to the skilled trades, he foresaw the need for a national effort "that first and foremost has the educational mission of creating next-generation craftspeople," he says.
Education programs are hands-on and involve partners including small contractors, schools and municipalities, and Habitat for Humanity. In February, NCC began its first large-scale project: Its DeConstruct Training Program teaches high school students to have fun while systematically deconstructing, reusing, and recycling three buildings that were donated to the effort.
Similar programs could appear nationwide. "Our vision is to have regional and state offices," Kaufman says, based on the Fort Collins "pilot" and its more than 300 members. He's had inquiries about local offices elsewhere but, he says, "We recognize the importance of building the systems and doing it right. We're creating the fabric of a sustainable concept." Learn more at www.nccraftsmanship.org. —L.T.
Social RecruitingCan social-networking sites do for remodeling what they've done for friendships? Like global employee-referral systems, sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn are becoming critical spokes on the recruitment wheel. In fact, as employers confront the reality of employees chatting online during working hours, some are opting not to ban these functions but to embrace them as business-building opportunities.
The sites seem to welcome the new thinking. Of the tens of millions of member profiles on Facebook and MySpace, many are more oriented to career than to music or partying. Employers can search for people by variables such as where they've worked, or can set up their own networks, engage in forums, and place classified ads.
Employers can build community as well. Technology giant Cisco Systems, for instance, encourages its 65,000 employees to use the sites to facilitate creativity and collaboration. KPMG, the tax consulting firm, has a Facebook "innovation hub" where staff can discuss ideas. Banning the sites, in turn, can backfire. A British law firm tried this last year, only to anger 700 employees who were members of the company's own network on Facebook.
And remodelers? Besides searching for people or setting up a network, you might ask your staff to use their social-networking profiles to talk up their good jobs (assuming, that is, those profiles don't have personal information that might come back to haunt you). They might even link their profiles to your company's Web site, with its own employee profiles — photos and narratives showing who they are, what they do, and why they love it. Just an idea. —L.T.