Editor’s note: This commentary is by Don Keelan, a certified public accountant and resident of Arlington. The piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
[A] neighbor recently had some heating work done at her home in Arlington. The tradesman’s work was done professionally and competently. The neighbor was quite satisfied until the invoice from the contractor came to her: $285 for three hours’ work – $95 per hour. She was shocked at the hourly rate charged. Frankly, I don’t know why.
In his May 10 editorial in the Bennington Banner, Gov. Phil Scott was quoted as saying, “The average age of a construction worker in Vermont is about 56 years old.” The governor went on to note, “… the trades – electricians, plumbers, mechanics, construction workers – … are jobs that are always in demand.” Might we conclude from the governor’s comments that we are heading for a crisis?
About 40 years ago, it was projected that the Catholic Church in Vermont was going to have a significant decline of parish priests by the beginning of the 21st century. The prediction was correct – only a handful are here today, as compared to hundreds in the 1960s and ‘70s.
A similar prediction in the medical field was made concerning the shortage of family practitioners. This too has come to fruition and will only become worse by 2020.
The Catholic Diocese of Burlington addressed the issue by closing and/or consolidating numerous parishes throughout Vermont. The medical field has partially mitigated their issue by assigning more work to nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
The construction trades have an even greater problem to contend with. There are not enough young people willing or able to enter into the apprenticeship programs required to become master electricians, plumbers, carpenters and welders. Most of the programs require five years of schooling/training.
Our elected and appointed leaders, educators and, of course, us, have to stop whining about the issue and address it head on.
The annual earnings of a skilled tradesperson for a 2,000-hour work year can be between $60,000 and $100,000; so why is the workforce in decline? There are several possible reasons.
In the same Banner piece, Gov. Scott said, “In the past 10 years, 30,000 people between the ages of 25 and 45 have left Vermont for greener economic pastures elsewhere.” For sure, not all who had left would have gone into the construction trades, but some might have.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, in a May 17 commentary in VTDigger, noted, “While nearly 75 percent of high school students say they want to pursue postsecondary education, just 53 to 59 percent (depending on the survey) actually enroll.” So where do the other 47 to 41 percent go?
Unfortunately — and we see on a weekly basis — scores of young adults become prisoners of drug addiction. It has become commonplace to see a half dozen or so arrested for illegal drug distribution in cities and towns throughout Vermont. At times there could be a score pictured on the front pages of our daily newspapers.
There once was a time when the military was an option for a young adult to choose if he or she did not wish to go to college or join the workforce. This window of opportunity has closed for many, which is unfortunate. The military has always been a great training ground for the building industry.
Our elected and appointed leaders, educators and, of course, us, have to stop whining about the issue and address it head on. The work to end drug addiction must be increased. The benefits that can be gained by young adults enrolling in our state’s many tech schools ought to be promoted more aggressively. The construction industry should provide scholarships for young adults to enroll in tech and apprenticeship schools.
Perhaps we should be asking the next time a toilet backs up, a light won’t go on or a furnace fails to engage, five years from now, will there be someone to respond to our emergency?
