By Charles Inokon, Breva
Associated Builders and Contractors projected in January 2026 that the construction industry needs to attract an estimated 349,000 net new workers in 2026 and 456,000 new workers in 2027. Those are national figures, and any Wisconsin contractor who has turned down a job for lack of a crew knows what they look like up close.
The skilled labor shortage is national, but a contractor does decide how many skilled people stay, how many are trained in-house, and how many skilled hours are lost to avoidable delays. These five steps are worth starting now:
1. Put a price on every open and lost position
Before spending anything on hiring, work out what a vacancy costs. Add up the overtime paid to cover it, the jobs started late or turned away, the rework that comes from stretched crews, and the recruiting and training hours spent when someone leaves. A one-page estimate takes an afternoon. It changes how retention, training, and wages are discussed, because they stop looking like expenses and start looking like the cheaper option.
2. Ask your skilled people what would keep them
Sit down one on one with each skilled worker and ask three questions: what would make you stay, what would make you leave, and what would you change about the crew or the schedule. The answers often point to inexpensive fixes, such as predictable schedules, equipment that works, and recognition for good work. Write down the pay scale for each level and share it, so a worker can see what the next step pays and what it takes to get there.
3. Grow your own through apprenticeship
Apprentices take years to develop, so the sooner the first one is enrolled, the sooner the benefit arrives. ABC of Wisconsin’s apprenticeship program combines on-the-job training with classroom instruction over three to five years, depending on the trade. There are 12 distinct trades in ABC’s program, including bricklaying, carpentry, concrete finishing, electrical, heat & frost insulating, heavy equipment operating, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, sprinkler fitting and steamfitting. ABC programs train all over the state. Learn more here.
For younger talent, Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program lets employers hire high school juniors and seniors for a one or two year apprenticeship, with at least 450 hours of work each year under a workplace mentor. A local school district or technical college can say whether a pathway exists for your trade. Choose the mentor before the student arrives.
4. Look beyond word of mouth
Referrals from current employees are valuable, but they only reach so far. Add technical college instructors, high school career and shop teachers, people changing careers from other industries, and veterans leaving the service. ABC of Wisconsin’s Center for Apprenticeship Excellence is approved for the GI Bill, so veterans can check whether their education benefits apply. Write job postings that state the pay range, the schedule, and the next step up, since those are the questions a candidate is already asking.
5. Get more from every skilled hour
Skilled workers cost the most per hour, so every hour spent hunting for materials, waiting on information, or filling out paperwork is the most expensive kind to waste. Ask each foreman for the three things that cost the crew time every week, and fix the one that comes up most often. Then match work to capacity: before bidding the next job, count the available crew hours against the backlog, and price the work with today’s wages and training costs rather than last year’s. A job the crew cannot staff is cheaper to schedule honestly than to finish late.
Bottom line: Start with the first step this week. The cost estimate takes an afternoon and builds the case for the other four. Then contact ABC of Wisconsin about apprenticeship, since the years it takes to train a worker begin the day the apprentice does.
About the author
Charles Inokon is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Breva, a financial operations platform built on artificial intelligence for construction contractors. Breva automates pay applications, tracks work in progress and cash, and connects contractors with funding. Charles is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive), an attorney, and a lecturing fellow at Duke University and Drexel University. Email: charles@breva.ai. Website: breva.ai.
