Decades of decline in skilled trade labour require an urgency of addressing this trend. This study investigates Michigan's skilled construction labourer (SCLs) shortage through three overarching questions: what factors influence and cause this shortage; how are stakeholders responding; and what innovative solutions could reverse this trajectory. A review of the literature revealed recruitment difficulties due economic volatility, skill deficiencies, and perceived lack of advancement. Based on these factors and others, two surveys were conducted to study opinions of construction managers and skilled trade labourers mostly in Southeast Michigan by analysing demographics across different categories using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results not only corroborated the importance of vocational training but also added to the body of knowledge details that were not previously investigated. The results indicate that exposure to vocational education at high school increased the likelihood of seeking vocational training before joining the industry from 2.6% to 29%, and internships played a major role in training union workers. However, project managers (PMs) preferred recruiting workers from internships and on-the-job training over trade schools and unions. The young workers had mixed expectations of remaining in the industry until retirement compared to those over 40 years of age. The methodology utilised in this study can help the construction industry in the United States and elsewhere to identify areas of improvement to attract more workers into the field, and the findings of this study are particularly useful to construction companies in Michigan in determining where they need to focus their efforts to improve training and recruitment. © 2025 Jennifer Russell et al., published by Sciendo.
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