The millwright members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters can prosper by displaying the skills and professionalism that employers will increasingly demand in the tight-budget world of a slowly mending economy.
Speakers at the UBC’s International Millwright Leadership Conference mapped out a steep road to recovery, but all emphasized that tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.
“It’s a law of nature that people will get what they deserve,” said UBC General President Doug McCarron. “Dedication to training and productivity coupled with a positive attitude and proactive approach to problem-solving will guarantee success. It’s that simple.”
Nearly 400 contractors and union officials from around North America heard from leaders in the power-generation industry, economic forecasters, and UBC training experts during the three-day conference at the Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas.
The speakers sketched out a future in which the power-generation business will be greener and command a greater share of construction dollars, creating opportunities for UBC millwrights and carpenters.
Cynthia Paul, managing director of the construction industry consulting firm FMI Corp., predicted the power industry will markedly increase its investments in alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, municipal waste, biomass, hydro, and nuclear.
“Right now the industry is a little sleepy,” she said, “but there will come a time when they need to man up. And when that time comes, millwrights need to be ready.”
Over the next 20 years, the demand for more efficient, environmentally sound, renewable energy sources is going to drive the demand for skilled workers who know how to build and service power plants, said UBC General Vice President Doug Banes, who is also a millwright.
“I want to see this green energy initiative really go,” he said. “The key to winning this business comes with the right training, job skills, leadership experience, and attitude to get these jobs done.”
Bill Irwin, executive director of the Carpenters International Training Fund, which develops UBC training, said instructional materials will incorporate green elements, but UBC members already possess the skills that will be required.
“The materials and working environment might be changing—but our training is already there,” he said.
The experts cautioned that getting to the brighter future requires climbing out of a deep, dark hole.
“We’ve lost 11 million jobs since January 2008, and construction accounts for 1.9 million of those,” said Jeff Faux, founder of the Economic Policy Institute think tank.
On the plus side, he showed how the U.S. gross domestic product began to increase and job losses started to decrease as stimulus funds entered the economic bloodstream. Until private investment revives, Faux said, more government spending is required.
“Like it or not, more stimulus funds are needed to put people back to work,” he said. “If nobody spends, nobody works.”