An industry comes together to design its own future - by Nancy Greenwald

Construction Institute workshop

At a February Construction Institute (CI) workshop, members of regional architecture, engineering and construction firms joined together to take on one of the biggest challenges the industry faces, attracting the workforce of the future. With so many compelling career opportunities in places like NYC or Boston, attracting qualified professionals to the CT, Western MA, and RI region has become a significant challenge.

CI, an organization dedicated to bringing the industry together to overcome challenges, decided to focus its efforts on this critical issue. A team, led by CI board member and Fathom partner Brent Robertson, with the help of a CI young professional, Sarah Giardini, The Associated Construction Company, designed and facilitated a one-of-a-kind workshop to stimulate an honest and productive dialogue and to create a foundation for concrete solutions. The results of the day are powerful ideas, clear action steps, and a new narrative for the industry designed to attract this much needed workforce.

During the workshop, attendees identified that one of the most compelling industry attributes that is unique to this region is that practitioners have relatively easy access to those business, government, and community members they need to do their best work. This is a key differentiator compared to other regions where significant boundaries stand between businesses, elected officials, communities, and institutions.

Additionally, participants in the workshop concluded that there is more opportunity for a firm’s work to be visible and have a deeper impact in our region than in other, more crowded marketplaces.

However, there is much to be done to create a more prosperous future for the industry. A full report from the workshop, including a powerful narrative that brings all of the insights together, can be found in a new CI White Paper located at: https://goo.gl/8Hwpz6.

The CI thanks Brent Robertson for contributing this article.

Nancy Greenwald is executive director of The Construction Institute, Hartford, Conn.