Siga High-Performance Construction Academy Opens To Address Skilled Labor Shortage
It’s no secret that the construction industry is in the midst of a skilled labor shortage. In the United States alone, there were 434,000 vacant construction jobs as of April 2019, according to the US Labor Bureau. And it’s not just a shortage of workers impacting the industry, it’s a shortage of skilled labor.
If we’re ever to achieve a sustainable future, it’s only through the partnership and collaboration of building professionals at every stage in the construction of a building, from installer to architect, contractor to manufacturer.
SIGA’s vision is for a world of zero-energy loss buildings. Today we’re taking our commitment further, by opening the SIGA High-Performance Construction Academy.
The SIGA High-Performance Construction Academy, located in Salem, NH, will serve New England, where 75% of construction firms reported experiencing a hard time filling positions, both hourly and salaried, according to a survey done by the Association of General Contractors of America.
“There’s a huge gap in high-performance skills right now. A skilled labor shortage can result in the construction of bad buildings, building damage and headaches for building owners. I also believe it will result in long-term damage for the planet,” said Etienne Gubler, CEO of SIGA North America. “High-performance skills enable a builder and installer to do their job well, which has a lifetime effect on a building’s performance. We’re offering hands-on, educational workshops and training to address the skilled labor shortage and build better buildings for our future.”
SIGA and other partnered organizations will offer hands-on, high-performance training on several topics and skills, including but not limited to:
Air sealing & blower door testing
High-performance building envelope design and application
Passive House criteria and resources
Insulation
Window installation
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In addition to boosting skills to address the skilled labor shortage, the SIGA High-Performance Construction Academy will also focus on developing skills related to current and future building codes. As cities, states and provinces around North America increasingly adopt more stringent building codes to promote greater energy efficiency, high-performance skills will become the new norm.
“The academy will help builders stay on the forefront of building code changes, not only with notifications of code changes, but also taught how to address changes so that their business and team are stronger, instead of playing blind defense,” said Ken Kiefer, SIGA application advisor and trainer at the SIGA High-Performance Academy Center.
To see the latest workshops offered, please visit the SIGA High-Performance Construction Academy page.