MD apprenticeship sponsors say there’s a shortage of workers; New locator tool can help

MARYLAND – Learning the skills of a trade can be a unique trait giving men and woman a talent that you can’t find in a book. While many apprenticeship-offering companies may be excited to teach these skills, they may find it difficult to find anyone who wants to listen.

Several apprenticeship programs tell 47 ABC it’s been a struggle to bring new workers into the field. Especially here on the Eastern Shore, it’s been a tough job to recruit young adults.

Seaside Plumbing, a state sponsored apprentice, has been helping men and women learn a craft throughout the years. But the toughest part of the job has been nailing down new recruits.

Owner Joshua Martin says, “We have such a shortage of highly skilled laborers in our industry, besides plumbing, it’s the same for electrical, HVAC, steel work that kind of thing.”

We’re told tradespeople are slowly retiring and that’s why it’s key to add more apprentices to the industry. The more hands on deck, the less stress on the company.

“The average individual within our trades is 50 years plus and every year, 5 people are retiring and only two people are joining the trade,” Martin says.

Martin tells 47 ABC a big reason for the lack of newcomers is college, “I feel like in the last 20 years, there’s been a huge push within our high schools to just go for the four year degree within a college. When there’s a really skilled positions right now, where you not only get schooling and on the job training and immediately start making money, instead of four years of loans to deal with.”

But Seaside Plumbing and other apprenticeship programs may be seeing some hope. Maryland just announced an Apprenticeship Locator, a first-of-its-kind interactive website that connects job seekers and employers with apprenticeship sponsors throughout the state.

This locator can be a way to patch up some much needed work. Maryland is the first to have this locator website. No other state in the nation offers an online application that provides both job seekers and employers with current and searchable information for active apprenticeship programs. If you are interested, there are more than 90 registered apprenticeship sponsors and 45 youth apprenticeship employers listed on the locator.

To visit the locator website, click here.