It’s no secret that we’ve slowly devalued the trades in recent decades, even though almost everything in our country is dependent on these industries and their workers.

Technology is rapidly changing the face of construction and manufacturing. Things like artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, cloud technology, and augmented reality will be crucial to businesses going forward.

“Why can’t I find skilled workers?”

Automated machinery, sensors, AI, interconnected ecosystems—advancements in digital technology are booming and it’s only a matter of time before they change the face of the skilled trades.

At the beginning of each year, we at Skillwork like to take some time to study and reflect on the previous year before considering the year ahead. It gives us an opportunity to not only celebrate our wins and learn from our mistakes as a company, but to take a forward look at the future of the labor market overall.

Being understaffed—or even just not having the experienced workers you need—can have a measurable impact on the safety at your facility.