Associated Builders and Contractors members invested $1.6 billion to provide more than 1.3 million course attendees with craft, leadership and safety education in 2021, according to ABC’s 2022 Workforce Development Survey—up from $1.3 billion in 2020.

Safety education accounted for the greatest share—56%—of total workforce investment. Investment in craft education increased significantly, to 34% of the total in 2021, up from 22% in 2020, responding to the need for an estimated 650,000 additional construction workers in 2022. General and construction management contractors boosted their share of the total investment in workforce development to 65% in 2021 from 58% in 2020.

Additional key findings from the survey, which was conducted by FMI, include:

• ABC member contractors invested an average of 7.4% of payroll in workforce education.
• Women in management/supervisory roles ticked up to 19% in 2021 from 17% in 2020; women in craft/trade roles increased from 14% to 15%.
• ABC members invested in safety education for an average of 51 employees.
• More than half of respondents—61%—reported a labor shortage of severe or very severe, citing an exodus of Baby Boomers as the top contributor. 

To read the full report, visit tinyurl.com/2s6xky6h.