Click here to read the article
Construction Executive included Adams and Reese Construction Team Co-Leader Trent Cotney in a special section, “Executive Insights 2024: Leaders in Construction Law.”
The publication interviewed construction attorneys and industry professionals about the current challenges in the industry, including the biggest risks for contractors that are having difficulty finding skilled workers.
“Hiring and keeping a skilled crew is a huge challenge for contractors, especially in a time when many workers are aging out of the industry,” said Cotney. “One in five of all construction workers are 55 or older. When finding workers is difficult, and more experienced workers may retire, the biggest risks to operations can potentially be project delays, quality issues and/or safety concerns in the midst of trying to train newly hired workers on the fly.”
Cotney said that contractors can address these issues by contacting their legislative representatives to support acts and bills that fill the pipeline of skilled workers.
For instance, A Stronger Workforce for America Act (H.R. 6655), will reauthorize and enhance the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It calls for upskilling workers through individual training accounts, on-the-job instruction and other initiatives; allowing states to create “critical industry skills funds;” ensuring eligibility programs are aligned with employers’ skill needs; emphasizing work-based training for youth workers; and strengthening programs for those released from prison to gain skills and transition to meaningful employment.
Another bill that addresses the workforce shortage is the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act (H.R. 3734). It creates H-2C, a new visa for temporary workers to work in year-round, nonagricultural positions, valid for 36 months with two consecutive renewals. There are Perkins Career and Technical Education State Grants. Each year, Congress allots funding for CTE programs, and increases in funding would be a boon to the construction industry, allowing students to pursue skills-based careers.
Construction Executive has an audience of more than 150,000 business owners, C-suite executives, and top decision-makers, including all 22,000-plus member companies of Associated Builders and Contractors.
For the third consecutive year, in 2024, Adams and Reese ranked among Construction Executive’s The Top 50 Construction Law Firms™, placing No. 16.
Cotney is a leading member of one of the largest construction practices in the country with Adams and Reese’s roster of more than 90 attorneys serving the construction industry.
A Partner in the Adams and Reese Tampa office, Cotney general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, manufacturers, architects, engineers, roofers, developers, and other construction industry professionals. He is an EU arbitrator for construction-related disputes. Cotney is also experienced in construction litigation and arbitration, including OSHA defense, lien law, bond law, bid protests, and construction document review and drafting. Cotney is ranked among the top construction attorneys in Florida by Chambers USA and ranked by Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers in Florida, Texas, Mid-South, and Illinois. Cotney is a board-certified construction lawyer licensed in eight states and Washington, DC.