Sidebars
Generation Google
What clicks with the industry’s newest recruits? REMODELING columnist Shawn McCadden explored this question in a casual “focus group” during JLC Live! in Seattle. Eleven participants, 19 to 28 years old, were either students at a carpentry school or field employees at remodeling companies.
The discussion revealed a conscientious mind-set along with generational chasms that could be bridged with better communication, McCadden says.
Several participants got into remodeling as a creative outlet — a way to work with their hands, figure out puzzles, and leave behind a tangible legacy. “It feels good to say, ‘Hey, I built that,'” one said.
“They wanted training to advance their skills,” McCadden says. “They were particularly concerned about knowing the ‘why’ behind what they do” — not to be obnoxious but to do better work. He calls this “the Google mentality.” A response that drives them crazy? “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it!”
Similarly, participants expressed frustration at being tossed tasks without training or guidance, particularly when they’re criticized for the outcome. None of them liked being yelled at by “harsh” old-schoolers. “We’re more geared toward teaching now,” one said.
Other key themes: concern for personal safety (participants included musicians and artists who feared losing their fingers or hands), frustration with apathetic co-workers, and, of course, a wish for better tools.
The Apprentice
Apprenticeship programs aren’t the exclusive domain of union companies, or even big ones. With less than $300,000 in revenue in 2007, Envision Remodeling’s only employee is 23-year-old Eric Curtis, whom owner David Plont is grooming into “a craftsman and a leader” with the help of a structured apprenticeship program for residential construction at nearby Lansing (Mich.) Community College (LCC).
Plont says “the program was ready and waiting” when he heard about it from Bryndley Byrd of Lansing’s Capital Area Construction Council. “They were very excited to have us help take the lead.”
Curtis was already Plont’s employee at the time. Though he had little construction experience, he was of good character and had a desire to excel, Plont says. Working with Byrd, LCC, and the Department of Labor, Plont customized the program to his needs, roughing out an 8,000-hour schedule of on-the-job training and classes covering everything from project administration and safety to demo, HVAC, and licensing. The state reimburses Plont for tuition.
The apprenticeship has no strings or formal commitments, but Plont’s learning-based environment is one that few good employees would leave. He’s thinking long-term, he says. In the slower market, now is “the time to get people trained and to get in position to grow as the industry begins its recovery. This is a way to set ourselves apart.” — LT.
The Career Changer
A career in remodeling doesn’t occur to some people until later in life, often after years of racking up advanced degrees, toiling behind desks, and finding little job satisfaction.
Consider Lynn Hurley (shown), of Santa Barbara, Calif. “I came into this at 45,” says the former geology major. In her prior career with an environmental consulting business, she went from collecting soil and water samples to “running multimillion-dollar jobs from afar, conversing with attorneys,” she says.
Intrigued by green building, and craving a return to hands-on work outdoors, Hurley quickly learned about Allen Associates, a high profile green builder in Santa Barbara. She called owner Dennis Allen, who gave her a list of books to read, lectures to attend, and green buildings to tour. A couple of years later, her homework completed, Allen hired her as a junior associate to manage small remodels.
“I had no construction experience,” Hurley says, “a big zero.” Allen says he saw that as a small trade-off because of Hurley’s maturity, eagerness to learn, and extensive experience working with trade contractors. Two years later, she became an associate. She recently left Allen’s company on good terms to join Skyeline Construction, a startup focusing on sustainable development launched by another former Allen associate. — L.T.