12 reasons why employers need to hire candidates who are early in their construction and skilled labor careers

There are important short- and long-term benefits for employers to hire students, recent graduates, and others early in their careers for construction and skilled labor roles. We reached out to 12 hiring experts to get their thoughts:

• Build Relationships with Vocational Schools
• Launch Winter Recruitment Campaigns
• Place Job Ads at Hardware Stores
• Host Family Involvement Programs
• Attend Local University Job Fairs
• Develop Clear Career Paths
• Create Apprenticeships with Immediate Earnings
• Partner with Local Businesses
• Recruit Military Veterans for Apprenticeships
• Leverage Social Media for Behind-the-Scenes Content
• Tap Into Informal Hiring Networks
• Conduct Proactive Community Outreach

Build Relationships with Vocational Schools

One recruiting strategy that’s worked well for us when hiring early-career candidates in construction and skilled trades is building direct relationships with vocational schools and high school CTE programs. Job boards alone rarely bring in the volume or quality needed when hiring at scale. Instead, we’ve found real traction by connecting with students before they graduate.

That means attending career fairs, offering job site tours, or even hosting short internships. Many of these young adults are highly capable; they just haven’t had direct exposure to the opportunities in our field. Showing them what a real construction site looks like and explaining clear career paths can make all the difference.

We also pair new hires with experienced site supervisors. That kind of mentorship improves retention, safety, and skill development. One of our strongest foremen today started with us right out of trade school; he grew fast because we invested early.

Hiring dozens or even hundreds of early-career tradespeople isn’t about filling seats. It’s about creating a pipeline. Start by being visible in the schools and communities where these workers are already training. Go beyond job listings. Show up, offer value, and build trust.

Adam Hicks, Founder & CEO | Contractor, CooperBuild

Launch Winter Recruitment Campaigns

As someone who’s built two companies in excavation and mechanical systems over 20+ years, I’ve found that **winter recruitment campaigns** are absolutely game-changing for hiring volume. Most contractors avoid recruiting during cold months, but that’s exactly when you should double down.

During our winter excavation seasons, we’ve found that workers are actually more motivated and focused than summer hires. We’ve documented 98% project completion rates since 2020, partly because our winter-recruited teams showed stronger commitment. The key insight: people who want construction work in January are serious about the career, not just looking for temporary income.

I recommend running targeted social media campaigns from December through February, showcasing real winter work footage. We post videos of our crews operating GPS-guided machinery in snow, breaking frozen ground with specialized equipment, and completing projects others won’t touch. This attracts candidates who see construction as a year-round profession, not seasonal work.

The numbers speak for themselves – we’ve hired 40+ people through winter campaigns over the past three years with 85% retention versus 60% retention for summer hires. Winter recruits also advance faster because they start when project demand is lower, giving more time for hands-on training before the busy spring season hits.

Clay Hamilton PE, President, Patriot Excavating

Place Job Ads at Hardware Stores

Employers who are hiring hundreds of early career workers into construction or skilled trades should be placing job ads where those workers actually are, and that means hardware stores and trade counters. These are the places where active workers go to buy gear, materials, and tools. They are either starting jobs, in between projects, or ready to get moving.

In my company, we print flyers with QR codes and stick them near the checkout counters or entryways with rates that are clearly defined, start dates, and the contact information of the supervisor. This was done with no corporate language and no buzzwords. Just straight details. A poster that we have placed at a supplier has brought in more qualified hires than some of the paid listings that we have done. If someone is buying fittings and work boots at 6:30 a.m., those are the type of people you want on site. You meet them where they move, not where you hope they scroll.

Steven Bahbah, Managing Director, Service First Plumbing

Host Family Involvement Programs

As someone running a fourth-generation family drilling business, I’ve learned that **family involvement programs** are incredibly effective for volume hiring in skilled trades. We bring our children to job sites regularly, and watching other workers light up when they explain their craft to children creates natural mentorship opportunities.

Our most successful hiring surge came when we started hosting “Bring Your Family to Work” events quarterly. Workers invite their relatives, neighbors, and friends to see actual drilling operations. We’ve hired more than 15 people directly through these connections over two years, with 90% still with us because they understood the work culture before applying.

The key insight most miss: people join skilled trades for pride and purpose, not just paychecks. When current employees can showcase their expertise to their own families, they become your best recruiters. These family-referred hires already respect the work because they’ve seen the craftsmanship firsthand.

We also found that agricultural customers often have family members looking for stable work. During our large-diameter irrigation well projects, we’ve recruited several farmers’ sons and daughters who were already comfortable with heavy equipment and understood water systems from growing up around farming.

Chelsey Christensen, Director of Operations, Eaton Well Drilling and Pump Service

Attend Local University Job Fairs

We’re by no means experts in hiring early-career talent, as only a small portion of Gibraltar’s workforce falls into that category.

That said, the ones we have brought on board have come through traditional channels like LinkedIn and Indeed. One approach we tried that worked well was attending job fairs at local universities. It gave us direct access to dozens of smart, motivated candidates. Many followed up after the event, and we quickly found ourselves with multiple strong contenders competing for the same position. It’s a great way to create momentum and build a strong pipeline quickly.

But again, the usual route has been posting an entry-level job on the standard platforms. The issue is the sheer volume of applicants – if you can create an effective filtering system, you’ll end up with plenty of options. The hard part is choosing the right person, and even more importantly, being the kind of company where they can flourish and want to stay.

Thomas Whittle, Operations Manager, Gibraltar Construction

Develop Clear Career Paths

Employers interested in appealing to dozens or even hundreds of early career construction and skilled labor employees must concentrate on developing transparent, well-organized career paths for skill development. This could be effectively achieved by introducing apprenticeship or trainee schemes where on-the-job training is accompanied by formal instruction. The plan will also ensure that candidates are exposed to practical experience in addition to the much-anticipated certification or qualification.

In mentorship, there should also be a robust support system where new employees are mentored by more experienced colleagues. This not only guarantees that the company can accommodate new hires but also fosters a growth culture within the firm. The employers may accomplish this by creating an environment where young professionals feel understood and valued, thus developing a talented, loyal workforce that is more likely to remain with the company long-term. This approach would be attractive to candidates and would also help them become very competent professionals.

Daniel Vasilevski, Director/Owner, Pro Electrical

Create Apprenticeships with Immediate Earnings

After 30 years in commercial roofing and scaling Chase Commercial Roofing across New Jersey, I’ve found that **apprenticeship programs with immediate earning potential** are far superior to traditional recruiting approaches. We launched our own internal apprenticeship where candidates start earning $18-20 per hour on day one while learning—not after graduation.

The game-changer was partnering with local unemployment offices and workforce development centers in Newark, Paterson, and Jersey City. These agencies pre-screen candidates who are genuinely motivated to work and often provide partial wage subsidies for the first 90 days. We’ve hired more than 15 apprentices this way, with 90% retention after one year.

What makes this work is the immediate income stream combined with clear advancement milestones. Our apprentices see their pay increase to $25-30 per hour within 12 months as they master EPDM and TPO installation techniques. When people can pay rent while learning valuable skills, they tend to stay.

The key insight: don’t compete with college—compete with dead-end retail jobs. Position your apprenticeship as “earn while you learn” rather than “pay to learn.” We’ve dramatically reduced our hiring costs while building a loyal, skilled workforce that actually wants to remain in the industry.

John Chase, President, Chase Commercial Roofing Flat Roof Specialist LLC

Partner with Local Businesses

Partnering with local businesses is one of the most practical and community-driven ways to scale recruiting in construction and skilled labor. Collaborating with hardware stores, trade schools, equipment suppliers, or even regional contractors to host joint job fairs, co-branded workshops, or referral programs is an effective approach.

This strategy taps into trusted networks where early-career candidates already spend time. It builds local visibility while pooling resources for outreach, space, and promotion. A candidate who walks into a supply shop or attends a vocational event might leave with an unexpected job lead. Recruiting feels more personal when it’s rooted in familiar places, and that’s where real interest begins to grow.

John Elarde III, Operations Manager, Clear View Building Services

Recruit Military Veterans for Apprenticeships

I’ve built our apprenticeship program around military veterans, and this approach has been a game-changer for scaling up skilled labor recruitment. Veterans bring the discipline and work ethic that’s essential in HVAC and refrigeration work, plus they already understand technical systems from their service experience.

Here’s what actually works: we became G.I. Bill V3 approved, which means veterans can get paid while learning and use their education benefits simultaneously. Our senior technician Johnny Jenkins came from Naval aviation working on F-14 and F-18 systems – that military technical background translates perfectly to commercial HVAC diagnostics.

The key is making the program accessible to everyone, not just veterans. We hire from the general public too, but veterans anchor the program with their leadership and reliability. When you have disciplined veterans training alongside civilian apprentices, the whole group’s performance improves.

Most importantly, we guarantee live phone answering and prioritize repairs over replacements. This approach attracts candidates who want to learn real problem-solving skills, not just parts replacement. People stay longer when they’re actually developing expertise instead of just following scripts.

Gregg Kell VACRS, Content Marketing Manager, VA Commercial Repair Solutions, LLC

Leverage Social Media for Behind-the-Scenes Content

I’ve had great success recruiting through Instagram and TikTok, showing behind-the-scenes videos of our heating and plumbing apprentices learning on the job. These posts regularly get thousands of views from young people interested in the trades. When we highlight the technological aspects of modern HVAC systems and offer clear career progression paths, we typically see 3-4 times more applications from early career candidates.

Lara Woodham, Director, Rowlen Boiler Services

Tap Into Informal Hiring Networks

If you want to recruit at scale, tap into informal pipelines. Skip the perfect resumes and start shaking hands with the people who actually move crews. Every city has job site leads, union representatives, equipment renters, and instructors at trade schools who know who is reliable and who is looking. Offer them $50 gift cards for referrals, and you will be inundated with calls by the end of the week. I have seen crews triple in size within 30 days through word of mouth alone. It is quiet, fast, and effective.

You are not going to attract hundreds of skilled workers from job boards or fancy advertisements. Those are merely window dressing. Most tradespeople find jobs through someone they already trust. If you are serious about numbers, meet them where they are. That means attending job fairs at supply yards, hosting BBQs near large construction zones, or delivering lunch to apprenticeship programs. Hand out $20 gas cards. It works better than a billboard.

Guillermo Triana, Founder and CEO, PEO-Marketplace.com

Conduct Proactive Community Outreach

One method that has proven effective in recruiting early career candidates in the construction and skilled labor sectors is to base it on proactive outreach activities in local communities. Local schools, vocational training institutions, and other group organizations partner with us to bring us into direct contact with youths who may not have considered a career in construction. We run career expos on a regular basis and also offer workshops that focus on the required trade skills, career opportunities, and the enjoyment to be had in the field.

Flexible entry points may also be incorporated into the hiring process to attract younger workers. Eliminating formal qualifications as entry requirements and offering shorter, specific training courses allow candidates to be absorbed into the workforce while still studying. This approach not only attracts people who may not be formally qualified but also creates a pool of loyal and flexible employees who are eager to grow within the company.

Caleb John, Director, Exceed Plumbing