Ever conscious of our role in the industrial community, we are sensitive to anything that might influence our ability to respond to its needs. Our core competencies revolve around (the reality of) a competent workforce.
In these unprecedented economic times, all industry struggles to meet (and survive) new challenges. Among these, maintaining a skilled workforce is the highest priority. In the industrial construction sector, the presence of a skilled, experienced and motivated team is the essence of our core strength. What, seemingly, is invisible to many is the cold fact that skills training is virtually non-existent today. As this economy turns around, indeed rebounds, and it will, where will the craftspeople come from? They are not languishing on the sidelines awaiting a "dispatch."
In reality, craftspeople, of all disciplines, have left our industry... for a host of reasons. Union or non, the phenomenon is with us.
At Corey Delta, we have endeavored, for 36 years, to attract and train excellent, safe and multi skilled people for this sector; not just for Corey Delta, but for the industry. We have, the majority of the time, funded these efforts ourselves, including the welder training we accomplished in Mexico.
We were at the forefront of drug and alcohol testing, crafts certifications, merit shop "referral" programs and industry association based training (AGC, ABC).
All that said, we did what needed to be done. Now, the challenge is immense, too much for any one company to accomplish. Perhaps even too much for one trade association. This message, this call to action of industry leaders, is not intended to alarm but to inform. We contractors and our clients must work together to provide innovative solutions.
We at Corey Delta will continue to press the issue and welcome comments and suggestions from every sector of the industry.
Gene Waken CEO