PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — On Thursday, a carpentry job fair in Papillion offered workers a chance to break into the trades as the industry faces a growing need to replace a wave of retiring workers.
The event drew interest from people across age groups, with organizers saying almost 100 people RSVP'd and up to 200 were expected to show up.
Joseph Kielion, who helped organize the job fair, said the urgency to recruit younger workers comes down to demographics.
"The need comes from the demographics of retirees we're at a point where there are a large amount of people in the workforce not just in our industry but all industries that are on their way to retirement at a rapid rate," Kielion said.
Among those attending were Melani Ibarra, 26, and Javier Romo, 30 — two younger workers looking to build on existing skills or expand into new areas of the trade.
Ibarra learned commercial tiling through her stepfather's business and said she is considering a move into drywalling.
"I'm good with details and I think that would be a good fit for me," Ibarra said. Thanks to the job fair, she set up an interview with a contracting company for the very next day.
She also noted the generational gap she already experiences on job sites.
"I'll be at work and having friends that are like 30 years older than me," Ibarra said.
Romo, originally from El Paso, was passing through Omaha while on a job assignment when he stopped to network at the fair. He said the physical demands of carpentry can discourage people his age from pursuing it.
"I gotta be honest it's one of the toughest jobs out there because you gotta put your mind you gotta put your strength you gotta put your whole body through chaos," Romo said.
Both Romo and Ibarra say that although it can bring challenges, older colleagues have been invaluable resources when learning the ropes. Once he got past the initial playful teasing from his older peers, he says that the industry fosters a family atmosphere. Yet, that's not the only family he has.
"My three kids are the priority that's kinda at the back of my mind. It's like, I gotta wake up every morning because I want a better future for them," Romo said.
Kielion said workers entering carpentry today are also navigating a rapidly evolving technological landscape. For example, he says about 5 years ago was a big transition from paper blueprints to prioritizing software.
"In the next 5 years I'm not sure what to expect. Just when I think I've got it all figured out something changes and they change everything around you," Kielion said.
One relatively new trend in the industry is an uptick in data center construction. Kielion says the size and nature of the projects requires lots of contractor work and sometimes special training to ensure carpenters can execute the combination of electronics and infrastructure properly.
"The traditional framing, drywall, the acoustical ceilings, that's some of the common things that you need just to have the offices or the space. But obviously some of the other very speciality work that they do within those facilities is also some of the things that we're taking on," Kielion said.
When asked about artificial intelligence displacing jobs, Kielion said the hands-on nature of carpentry and the training programs offered through the union position the trade to keep moving forward.
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