Back to School, Back to Building
A 2026 economic impact report revealed a skilled trades gap of 1.4 million jobs in just seven trade categories by 2030. Two of these categories include construction and carpentry. This gap represents an estimated $325.6 billion in lost GDP annually, along with over $71 billion in lost federal, state and local tax revenue.
With the school year underway, now is a great time to explore another path to a rewarding career: the skilled building trades. This path doesn’t necessarily require a 4-year college degree, and this critical workforce shortage represents a great big world of job opportunities with attractive pay and a more visible path for career success.
The Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA) is doing its part to meet these workforce development challenges. Last June (2026), PEPA announced a new strategic partnership with the Building Talent Foundation (BTF) to maximize resources to attract and train more young men and women for careers in the building trades.
This includes PEPA’s training and certification resources with the BTF’s national workforce framework of 36,000+ construction career candidates, 3,600 employer partners, its JobsToBuild.com residential construction platform and hiring events in 27 markets.
This work will take center stage during PEPAs webinar on Sept. 24, Building the Next Generation of Installers: How Training, Certification and Employer Partnerships Can Strengthen the Workforce. PEPA’s President & CEO Kate Offringa, and BTF’s Branka Minic, will lead a practical discussion focused on what employers can do now to build a stronger, more sustainable installer workforce. They will share strategies and best practices for connecting young talent with career paths through industry partnerships that make training and certification resources more accessible. They will also touch on workforce trends that impact the polymeric exterior building products industry, as well as available PEPA workforce resources that can boost employers’ hiring, training and career development programs.
Register here to join the webinar!
Promising Developments in Building Trades Workforce Development Opportunities
It is encouraging to see new foundations established in recent years that focus on supporting skilled/building trades, like the BlackRock Foundation’s BlackRock Future Builders initiative, the GitLab Foundation and the Families and Workers Fund. All building trades groups and associations can find new funding partnerships with these and other organizations to boost their training and recruitment efforts. Accordingly, we strongly encourage home builders and remodelers, as well as those considering careers in the home-building trades, to tap into the training and career development resources offered by PEPA and others.
Creating a Stronger Workforce Pipeline
PEPA has proactively led the way in this area, creating a dedicated workforce development leadership role for its team in 2019, doubling its database of professionals to 5,200 in 2020 and certifying 1,200 new installers that same year. By October 2023, over 10,000 men and women were enrolled in PEPA’s Certified and Installer Trainee program.
PEPA has also continued to evolve how it delivers training. The association brought its training program “in-house” to provide virtual training alongside in-person classes. The training platform provides a centralized resource for jobsite learning, training materials and online certification. Later this Fall, PEPA will roll out an updated Installation Manual, reflecting the latest codes, products and installation best practices, giving installers another resource to strengthen their skills and stay current with industry requirements.
A Career Path Worth Exploring
Addressing the skilled trades shortage requires collaboration across the industry. Employers, manufacturers, associations, and educators all have a role to play.
For those considering a career in the building trades, or parents, educators or employers helping young people explore their options, PEPA offers tools and resources to help make the path easier to understand.
If you or someone you know is curious about what a future as an installer looks like, check out PEPA’s Career Ladder to Success. To learn more about PEPA’s workforce development initiatives, contact Alex Brand, PEPA’s Assistant Director of Workforce Development, at abrand@polymericexteriors.org.