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A new study by the Construction Industry Institute® has confirmed what building trade unions and their affiliated contractors across the country have espoused for years—that investments in bona fide training programs as commonly provided by building trade unions reap significant benefits for workers and contractors, including significantly reduced project costs. According to the study, “. . .on a single capital construction project, each dollar invested in craft training can yield $1.30 to $3.00 in benefits. The benefits accrue to the project in the form of increased productivity and reductions in turnover, absenteeism and rework, as well as in other areas.”
The study, “Construction Industry Craft Training in the United States and Canada,” was conducted by a research team consisting of individuals who, combined, had more than 375 years of experience in the construction industry. Issued in November 2007, the study was supported by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT).
Among other findings, the study recognized the substantial investment building trade unions and their affiliated contractors place into training, while noting that funding in the merit shop (non-union) sector has “fallen short in many geographic areas.” This investment has generated significant benefits for union members and savings for union contractors.
In Western Pennsylvania, more than $20 million is invested in training annually by local building trade unions and their affiliated contractors, resulting in well-structured and highly effective apprenticeship programs that are used to maintain a productive pool of supremely skilled and qualified workers. |
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“. . .on a single capital construction project, each dollar invested in craft training can yield $1.30 to $3.00 in benefits.”
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The success of these programs mirrors findings in the training study, which found that more than 80% of union workers complete off-the-job (apprenticeship) training as compared to only about 40% of open shop (non-union) workers.
The study also concluded that workers who complete off-thejob training programs tend to have more pride in their work than workers without training. If a worker believes that there are more opportunities to receive training, which is prevalent among union building trade workers, they also tend to believe that the projects that they work on are better managed and they experience higher productivity.
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Studies have shown over the years that craft training improves productivity, reduces turnover, improves quality, reduces absenteeism and improves safety. Such benefits are among the reasons union building trades and their contractors invest heavily in worker training. It is an investment that pays off for the workers in terms of higher pay and job satisfaction and for
contractors and communities through reduced project costs. The Construction Industry Institute® is a consortium of more than 100 leading owner, engineering-contractor, and suppliers from the public and private sector, which have joined together to enhance the business effectiveness and sustainability of the capital facility life cycle through research, related initiatives, and industry alliances. |
