America Needs Skilled Tradesmen, Says Manpower Survey
HUNTERSVILLE, NC-- America has a shortage of professional tradesmen. According to ManpowerGroup's 2012 report , our nation's number one category of the hardest jobs to fill is that of skilled tradesmen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that more than one third of skilled tradesmen are over the age of 50. In fact, for every three tradesmen who retire, there's only one skilled person trained to perform the work. These trends could mean trouble for a rebounding America. At the heart of this shortfall of plumbers, welders, roofers, masons, auto mechanics and other skilled workers is a culture that fails to honor the hard work that these men and women do every day, despite job openings and opportunities to earn good wages as tradesmen.
If people across America don't start appreciating tradesmen and encouraging young adults to enter the trades, who will build our homes, fix our roofs, repair our plumbing and keep our cars maintained? National Tradesmen Day — initiated by IRWIN Tools in 2011 and held the third Friday in September of each year — is a day to say "thanks" to these hard-working men and women who typically receive too little recognition for their skills and dedication.