Construction workers dismantling a truss on the Van Buren Bridge | Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation

New research from Portland State University demonstrates that a substantial initiative from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is an effective tool for improving the recruitment and retention of a more diverse workforce.

The Highway Construction Workforce Development Program is a statewide, collaborative effort that funds supportive services for apprentices learning trades including carpentry, cement masonry, electrical, ironwork, laborer crafts, operating engineering and painting while in a registered apprenticeship program.

"Consistent with our previous evaluations, we find that apprentices who receive services through the program are more likely to complete their apprenticeship than apprentices who do not receive these services," said Maura Kelly, co-author of the report and professor of Sociology at Portland State University. "Specifically, apprentices who receive program services are 10% more likely to complete their apprenticeship."

During the study period between 2022 and 2023 there were 1,966 new apprentices. The report shows that the construction workforce is continuing to diversify. Of those new apprentices, 14% identified as women and 45% identified as people of color. The share of apprentices who identified as White men dropped to 46% - a decline of 20% since 2010-2011.

"Building a stronger, more diverse workforce starts with recognizing the barriers that have existed for too long preventing women and people of color from completing their apprenticeship in the building and construction trades, and then we must be creative to ensure those barriers are reduced until they no longer exist," said Christina Stephenson, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. "These supportive services are a key example of reducing economic barriers to help ensure Oregon has a construction workforce that reflects our values."

Support services include child care, "ready items" (work clothes, tools and protective equipment), non-financial assistance (targeted support services like counseling, advocacy, and support networks) and hardship funds.

Across all racial/ethnic and gender groups, the most commonly received services were ready items, followed by hardship funds. The next most common service received is gas or travel, with the exception among Latinx and Asian women.

"A surprising finding in our analysis of the provision of hardship funds was the fragile nature of many apprentices' financial situations," said Lindsey Wilkinson, co-author of the report and associate professor of Sociology. "Although the construction trades overall offer good paying jobs and benefits, apprentices who are early in their careers are generally not yet making those higher wages and have not yet had time to build financial reserves."

The financial stability of apprentices - and sometimes their ability to remain housed - can be disrupted by events ranging from injury or illness and vehicle repairs to separation or divorce or the death of a family member.

"A single hardship event can be enough to make it impossible for the apprentice to complete their apprenticeship," Kelly said.

Overall, they found that apprentices who received hardship funds were 5% more likely to complete than those who did not receive hardship funds.

"These findings suggest that providing services such as hardship funds can be a useful tool in helping to retain workers," Kelly added.

However, apprentices continue to have low completion rates - only about half of apprentices will complete their program. Completion rates for Native men, women of color, white women, and Black men are even lower "representing the increased challenges experienced by apprentices with those identities," according to the report.

Kelly said understanding the reasons behind low rates of retention and program completion is key to not only diversifying the construction workforce, but for addressing current and future labor shortages in construction trades.

"This research and our partnerships are vital to ODOT's future workforce needs in building the pipeline and future of transportation in Oregon," said Cye Fink, field & business support manager with ODOT's Office of Equity & Civil Rights. "Retention and supportive services are an essential part of this work as we look to further cultivate a workforce for the highway contraction trades, diversifying and building a better future for individuals and the communities we serve."

The report's findings will help inform the Oregon Legislature as it considers ongoing program funding, and with stakeholders across the state to better understand strategies to improve recruitment and retention of apprentices in the construction workforce pipeline.