Our Industry

The U.S. Department of Labor characterizes the future employment potential for carpenters, electricians, plumbers, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics from excellent to very good. This is welcome news for everyone looking at starting a career in the Northeast Florida Builders Association, (NEFBA) Apprenticeship Program.

Job opportunities for carpenters are expected to be excellent. Well-trained workers will have especially favorable opportunities.

Construction activity should increase in response to demand for new housing and commercial and industrial plants and the need to renovate and modernize existing structures. The demand for larger homes with more amenities and for second homes will continue to rise, especially as the baby boomers reach their peak

Job opportunities for skilled electricians are expected to be excellent. Again, well-trained workers will have especially favorable opportunities.

As the population and economy grow, more electricians will be needed to install and maintain electrical devices and wiring in homes, factories, offices, and other structures. New technologies also are expected to continue to stimulate the demand in this trade. Increasingly, buildings will be pre-wired during construction to accommodate use of computers and telecommunications equipment. Installation of this equipment, which is expected to increase, should also stimulate demand for electricians. Additional jobs will be created by rehabilitation and retrofitting of existing structures.

Job prospects for highly skilled heating and air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers are expected to be very good, particularly for those with apprenticeship training to install, remodel, and services new and existing systems. In addition to job openings created by employment growth, thousands of openings will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

As the population and economy grow, so does the demand for new residential, commercial, and industrial climate-control systems. People and businesses depend on their climate systems and must keep them in good working order, regardless of economic conditions.

Renewed concern for energy conservation should continue to prompt the development of new energy-saving heating and air-conditioning systems. An emphasis on better energy management should lead to the replacement of older systems and the installation of newer, more effecient systems in existing homes and buildings. Also, demand for maintenance and service work should increase as businesses and home owners strive to keep systems operating at peak efficiency. Regulations prohibiting the discharge of CFC and HCFC refrigerants took effect in 1993, and regulations banning CFC production became effective in 2000. Consequently, the regulations should continue to result in demand for technicians to replace many existing systems, or modify them to use new environmentally safe refrigerants. In addition, the continuing focus on improving indoor air quality ahould contribute to the growth of jobs for heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technicians.

Job opportunities are expected to be excellent , as increased demand for skilled pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is expected to outpace the supply of workers trained in this craft. Like the other trades, NEFBA apprentices will have especially favorable opportunities.

Demand for plumbers will stem from building renovation, including the increasing installation of sprinkler systems; repair and maintenance of existing residential systems; and maintenance activities for places having extensive systems of pipes, such as power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, office buildings, and factories.

Employment of plumbers generally is less sensitive to changes in economic conditions than is that of some other construction trades. Even when construction activity declines, maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement of existing piping systems, as well as the increasing installation of fire sprinkler systems, provides many jobs in the trade.

earning years and can afford to spend more on housing. At the same time, as the number of immigrants increase and as the echo boomers (the children of the baby boomers) replace the smaller baby bust generation in the young adult age groups, the demand for manufactured housing, starter homes, rental apartments also is expected to increase.

Building activity depends on many factors - interest rates, availability of mortgage funds, the season, government spending, and business investment - that vary with the state of the economy. New and improved tools, equipment, techniques, and materials have vastly increased carpenter versatility. Therefore, carpenters with all-round skills will have better opportunities than those who can do only a few simple, routine tasks.