New Deer Valley Unified program to aid construction jobs woes

By Steve Stockmar
Mail |
X: @stevestockmar

The Valley construction industry can see what’s coming. There’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that growth in the need for infrastructure continues to soar. The not-so good news is the numbers also show that filling those necessary construction jobs could be a challenge very soon.

The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation reports that by December 2026, Arizona will have more than 195,000 construction jobs to fill. Furthermore, 41% of the current construction workforce will retire by 2031.

“This struggle to find qualified employees has significant economic consequences for not only construction firms but their customers and vendors as well,” the Foundation states on its website. “Talent gaps delay construction projects, meaning slower economic growth for Arizona.”

Building that construction workforce has been a priority for the education sector. Deer Valley Unified School District, which serves more than 33,000 students in North Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria, as well as Cave Creek and New River, is adding to the effort.

The district, which opens the new academic year Thursday, Aug. 1, is launching its new Construction Technologies program for 2024-25 on the campus of Barry Goldwater High School in Phoenix. The program was developed in partnership with The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, West-MEC, NCCER, ElevateED AZ, and the Greater Phoenix Chamber. Participating students will prepare for immediate employment, advanced certifications, and/or post-secondary education.

A week before school starts, there are 170 students – freshmen through seniors – already enrolled in the new Deer Valley Unified program.

For some, it will literally be learning a new trade from square one.

“I have to go back to my first day on the job. You just start there,” Bill Schooley, a Goldwater High faculty instructor with the new program, said Wednesday. Schooley has been with the district for eight years but was in construction himself for 30 years before earning a degree in education to complement his contractor experience. “For these kids the first day may be to learn how to read a tape measure. How to add fractions on a tape measure.”

The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity this month released the state’s employment report for June.

While the state’s unemployment rate decreased to 3.3%, its lowest rate since 1976, Arizona added 400 construction jobs from May to June. The next employment report, which will include July numbers, is due out Aug. 15.

The rate of construction job growth specifically, per the report, shows another trend. While the construction sector continues to add jobs, the rate of construction job growth – 400 new jobs in June – is well below the 2,800 new construction jobs in June of 2023.

The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity contributed $178,000 to the new program at Deer Valley Unified.

“The initiative really represents Arizona’s latest workforce advancement connecting workers with the skills and knowhow needed for the jobs in the state’s construction and trades industry with the goal of doubling the amount of apprentices we have in construction and trades by 2026,” Stacey Faulkner, state workforce administrator, said Wednesday. “We started with about 4,000 in the industry. I’m happy to announce that we already met our goal to double that number. So by 2026 we are likely going to triple that number.”

Arizona @ Work, of the Workforce Arizona Council, works in collaboration with the city of Phoenix, construction companies, and education partners to provide opportunities for jobs in the industry. According to Arizona @ Work, the demand for construction jobs in Maricopa County is higher than the national average.

Their website states that currently there are not enough carpenters, plumbers, or electricians trained and ready to enter the industry.

A look at workstations in the Construction Technologies facility’s indoor lab at Goldwater High.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

Tools and equipment line the outdoor lab at the new Construction Technologies facility.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

The main classroom at the new Construction Technologies facility at Goldwater High School is ready for students when the new school year opens Thursday, Aug. 1.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

Steve Stockmar
News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment YourValley.net

sstockmar@iniusa.org

Meet Steve
Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.

Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.

Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.

Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.

Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.