The demand for electricians in the United States has risen in the past few years. Employment of electricians is expected to grow 23 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. U.S. News and World Report ranked "Electrician" as #3 in Best Construction Jobs. So why is so difficult to find an electrician for hire?
First, to become an electrician one needs training, an apprenticeship, and finally, a license. When looking to hire additional electricians, we hone in on those applicants that have customer service experience, are hard working and responsible, and have the skills to be a great electrician. The time we put into training an apprentice can be a big commitment. The payoff is having a group of employees that you can trust to send out on any job, and are able to work with any customer. Ultimately we are looking to come out with a career electrician on the other end, someone who is as dedicated to our business and customers as we are.
The average age of an electrician today is 55, with a retiring age of 58, according to Electrical Contractor magazine. Hiring a competent and capable electrician on the verge of retirement might not be ideal for smaller businesses because of the potential high rate of turnover. For electricians, the youngest age brackets are shrinking, while the older groups are growing.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), skilled trade jobs are the hardest to fill in the US and around the world. Having a small pool of talented electricians to pull from can negatively affect business by reducing productivity and increasing employee turnover. The biggest reason behind this hiring difficulty is simply a lack of available recipients. Second to that is the decreasing number of of candidates with the required technical abilities. Simply put - there are fewer people looking to become trained as an electrician.
This trend may be changing. Some employers are working to address the talent shortage by offering better benefits, such as higher pay and paid vacation. They are also looking at other recruitment avenues to seek out a skilled tradesperson. Additionally, there is a growing movement aimed to inform today's youth of the surplus of skilled trades jobs available to them. According to Fox Business, trade schools are experiencing an increase in enrollments at a time graduate schools have seen a decline.
Safe and Sound Electric is currently looking for exceptional and experienced electricians to join our growing team. For more information about this exciting career opportunity, please call us at 203-273-3745 or email us at john@safeandsoundelectric.com.
Comments(5)