Labor Shortages in MEP: Tools and Strategies for Finding Talent Filling Gaps

The MEP tradespeople of tomorrow are here today — if contractors know where to find them and how to capture their imaginations. 

The well-paying, meaningful jobs of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) specialists seem ideal for a digital-native generation eager for real-life impact, but labor shortages persist. Hiring and retention challenges can contribute to cost overruns, strained timelines, and shortcuts that haunt postconstruction for general and MEP specialty contractors.  

However,  a combination of social media, eroding stigmas and the costs associated with college degrees are inspiring young people to seek opportunity and job security in the skilled trades. Contractors can harness changing attitudes and transformative technology to pique interest in MEP careers, transfer knowledge among generations and create efficiencies that fill labor gaps and keep projects on track.

The Ongoing Struggle of Construction Labor Shortages

Labor shortages are a construction-industry constant. According to the Association of Builders and Contractors, the industry will need an additional 454,000 new workers annually – on top of regular hiring — to meet demand. In the skilled trades, only two new workers step up for every five retirees. Contractors list mechanics, electricians and plumbers among their five hardest positions to fill.

How to handle the situation? Start by knowing the whys. Some people blame the Great Resignation that has continued since the COVID-19 pandemic, as people left their jobs due to low pay, few opportunities for advancement, child care problems and lack of flexibility.

Plus, society’s predilection for college that drove schools to hollow out their vocational programs is shrinking the pipeline of potential workers. A lingering stigma against blue-collar trades continues to discourage young people from considering them.

A major factor affecting construction labor is the “silver tsunami.” One construction worker in five is 55 or older. The average construction worker retires at 61, sending workers born before 1965 into retirement. With the physical and mental demands of the job, the generation born from 1965 to 1985 aren’t far behind. 

Draws to Construction Industry Employment

Contractors can’t change the demographics of hiring, but they can capitalize on improved attitudes toward construction careers.

Nearly three out of four parents say a college degree isn’t worth the exorbitant costs, according to Thumbtack’s 2024 Future of the Skilled Trades Report. Half of parents harbor regrets about putting money into college instead of encouraging their children to pursue skilled trades. Even 60 percent of recent college graduates regret spending all that money on their degrees. Families now realize that skilled trades can deliver a better ROI. And while enrollment in community college white-collar degrees is falling, enrollment in construction trade programs is surging.

Strategies to Address MEP Labor Shortages

GCs and SCs can take steps to fill the gaps in their own MEP teams while also joining industry initiatives that invite a new generation of talent into the labor pool.

Digitize and modernize training.

The fundamentals of MEP haven’t changed, but many training videos are stuck in the past. Get the attention of younger workers with culturally relevant content and visuals, and use smartphones to make videos that look and feel contemporary.

Ride the social media wave.

Social media has become a powerful recruitment tool. Online videos reveal the hard work and the satisfaction of a job well done, and younger generations are responding with interest and positivity.

Contractors can take advantage of social media by posting videos and reels that showcase construction’s appealing imagery, promote the company’s brand and incentivize young people looking for work with purpose.

Plus, social media and hiring platforms can be used to reframe outdated perceptions of MEP as solely swinging hammers and testing wires. The ability to work with sophisticated technology — — such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) — is an enticement for young people who don’t know a world without smart tools at their fingertips. Highlighting the technology and dazzling software that skilled tradespeople deploy every day could intrigue talented young workers into considering skilled-trade careers. 

Amp up knowledge transfer.

Mentoring programs help young workers learn from their older peers, but one-on-one sessions don’t spread knowledge teamwide. For exponential impact, take videos of experienced workers sharing their knowledge, and use technology such as virtual reality and webinars for group training.

Bring women onto the team.

Women are motivated workers who bring productivity, organization and collaboration to the jobsite. Their interest in construction careers is growing, but they still constitute a sliver of the workforce. NAHB suggests recruiting them from trade schools, showcasing the rewards such as great salaries and leaving a legacy, and communicating the range of roles available, including MEP.

Reach out to veterans.

Hundreds of military jobs teach the skills and require the certifications needed for MEP and construction work. Plus, service members are steeped in the same discipline, safety orientation and mission-oriented mindset demanded for success in MEP trades. Contractors can tap into a turnkey workforce by connecting with programs such as Helmets to Hardhats that help veterans transition into civilian life. 

Revamp workplace policies.

High salaries aren't enough to close labor gaps. The deadline pressures, odd hours and physical hardships of construction can often be out of alignment for a young workforce that prioritizes work-life balance and mental well-being. While employers can’t change all of the negatives, they can develop mental health services and programs, leverage technology and modular construction to streamline tasks and adjust schedules to let tradespeople join their families for soccer games and celebrations. 

Get recruits started early.

Partner with trade schools and middle and high school career programs. Be upfront and transparent about the hard work ahead, while emphasizing the satisfaction of working with their hands, doing good for others, and pointing to a structure and saying, “I built that.” 

Harness technology.

The tech tools and jobsite innovations that are revolutionizing construction double as powerful tools for managing MEP labor shortages.

BIM integrates all aspects of a project into a single, interconnected, interactive plan. It’s a digital twin of the project in progress, created in the cloud through collaboration among architects, engineers, and tradespeople. During preconstruction, the specificity of BIM generates certainty in the demands of the tasks ahead, enabling planners to put the right people in place at the right time. 

Modular construction is increasingly crucial to MEP, as key structural segments are crafted and assembled offsite. Once again, the finalized BIM offers definitive, trustworthy specs for every component. With that data in hand, GCs and SCs can — with confidence —  order offsite development of components for delivery onsite. It’s like a giant Lego kit coming to the job, facilitating more work with fewer people. 

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Industry Growth Ahead

The American workforce is aging, and so is the nation’s infrastructure. The massive lineup of public works demanding to be rebuilt — bridges, roads, dams, pipelines and more — requires a massive corps of skilled tradespeople to make the nation safe, secure and prosperous. 

At the vertical construction end of the spectrum, structures and construction methods are getting smarter, and the people who do the work have an exciting future ahead. The specialized skills needed for sustainability and retrofitting present new opportunities in MEP, especially for young workers eager to contribute solutions to the biggest challenges of their time.

Americans are reawakening to the noble and satisfying careers in MEP and blue-collar work. With the dedicated effort of leaders in the field, labor shortages in the mid- and long term could begin to ease and keep pace with the rising demand for innovative, top-quality construction in all sectors of American life.

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