Everyone rolls their eyes at construction projects because they’re never on time.
They get pushed back and then pushed back some more; people are already used to it. Recently, though, it’s been happening more, and not because of permits or weather. Here in Augusta County, we’re experiencing a chronic shortage of skilled workers.
The scary thing is that this is happening not only across the county, but all the way into Waynesboro.
Logistics is growing, and so is manufacturing and construction, but there are not enough people who are able to do those jobs.
More jobs, fewer skilled workers
There’s a lot of demand for skilled workers, but those workers are nowhere to be found. That’s an overstatement, sure, but to be perfectly frank, it’s not that far from the truth.
There’s a lot going on in warehouses, manufacturing, construction, and farming, and someone has to do it all. The problem is that there aren’t enough welders, diesel mechanics, machine operators, HVAC technicians, and others to do that work. In fact, in some lines of work, the numbers are actually shrinking instead of going up.
Older workers who have been on the job for decades are retiring, and younger ones aren’t replacing them fast enough, or at all. Some of them are delaying retirement because they don’t want to leave their bosses in the lurch, but they’re up there in age, and they can’t work forever.
With the way things used to be, you’d expect younger generations to take their place, but not many young people are interested in jobs like these. The high schools keep glorifying colleges, and they’ve all cut back on vocational classes.
So, even if a kid would actually like fixing engines for a living, they never get a chance to learn that.
Another issue is that these jobs are even harder to learn now than they were 20 years ago.
Before, all you had to do was be handy with a wrench, but now a diesel mechanic has to know how to connect a laptop to see what’s wrong with the engine (diagnostics), which, sure, has its own set of advantages… but it also introduces an entire new skill tree that needs to be honed if you want to stay competitive in your particular industry.
So, even when you find a young person willing to learn, the learning curve’s pretty steep.
You’ll feel this sooner or later, if you haven’t already.
The same story is with a mechanic. It used to be just the mechanic and a box of tools (mostly wrenches), but today it also has a lot to do with 3D modeling and CNC machines.
It’s because of all this added burden that there are fewer mechanics than there were before. And even if you went online to look for one by typing ‘hydraulic repair near me’, or you went on Yelp! Or even the Yellow Pages (old school), you’ll realize that it’s slim pickings out there.
Where the shortages are showing up the most
There are labor shortages all over the country, and we could talk about that all day long.
However, the truth is that some parts of the local economy feel it more than others.
Roads and public work crews
Fixing roads and water lines is incredibly important work, but the people doing those jobs are retiring, and the county can’t find enough new operators and mechanics to take their places. That means that a paving job, which should take 2 weeks, now takes 2 months. If you’re a contractor, you have to book a crew 6 months ahead if you want to stay on schedule.
And if it rains for a couple of days, there’s no backup crew to help out, so the work ends up sitting there for a while, and the whole project gets delayed.
Farming and equipment repairs
When a farmer’s combine or planter breaks in the middle of harvest season, they can’t afford to wait for them to be repaired.
Every hour that those machines aren’t working costs money, and yet, the mechanics who are able to fix them are hard to find. Younger mechanics mostly focus on cars, and it makes sense when you see how complex hydraulics and computer systems farm equipment has.
Unfortunately, this means that farmers are forced to wait days for help, or they patch things up themselves.
And neither of these solutions is ideal.
Warehouses and industrial facilities
If you look at those big warehouses stacked along the interstate, you’ll notice that they always look busy, right?
But if you place a magnifying glass over them, you’d see that they’re actually struggling. This has to do with all the equipment breaking down constantly. Sure, oftentimes, these are rentals (forklifts, scissor lift, counterbalance, pallet truck, etc.), but still, you either have to maintain them yourself, or you have to call the company who rented you the equipment piece/tool.
But if you’re busy, and most of these businesses are, then you need the tools constantly, which is why most warehouses have their own maintenance guy on payroll.
But getting one, and getting one who’s an expert at diagnostics, hydraulics, and is also a mechanic and electrician at the same time – that’s an entirely different issue.
Conclusion
So… Things aren’t so great in Augusta County, at least when it comes to a healthy pool of skilled labor.
The economy grew faster than anyone expected, the jobs got harder, experienced workers are retiring, and high schools are pushing college on kids who want to go, and those who don’t.
At this point, the guy who can fix the water treatment pump is just as important as the guy who approves the budget for the new road. And when you can’t find one of them, then nothing gets done.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. AFP editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
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