 Two criticisms of deconstruction training have come to my attention in recent weeks. They relate to programs in general, and to those offered by TRP and The ReUse Institute in particular. This blog post addresses both.
The first criticism goes something like this:
In today's economy, it would be better to train unemployed construction workers to do deconstruction, rather than the low skilled populations that TRP normally trains. Construction workers already know how houses are built, have marketable skills and would require fewer classroom and on-the-job hours to acquire deconstruction skills. With relatively few jobs available, skilled workers should not be displaced by new hires willing to work for lower wages.
True, TRP trainees typically lack the basic skills demanded in today's workplace. In fact, they are often ex-offenders or chronically unemployed. Many are urban youths between the ages of 17 and 24 who have had little opportunity to acquire requisite skills. Even in good economic times this population accounts for a heavy share of the unemployment rolls.
It is also true that many highly paid trades people are out of work. However, in joining a deconstruction crew, they would see at least a 50 percent pay cut. And a skilled tradesperson who becomes unemployed will be hired as soon as the economy turns around, which it will, while unskilled urban youth will remain unemployed.
Consider carpenters. Deconstruction workers are sometimes equated with carpenters, as in the case of workers compensation insurance bureaus, which assign workers to certain classifications depending upon their job requirements. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 11, 2011, the median and mean wages for a carpenter were $19.00 and $21.10 per hour respectively. These numbers are just a little lower than prevailing wages rates, but do not include fringe benefits, which range from a low of 30 percent to as high as 61 percent of wages.
 The following are wage rates for all worker categories that I know of in the deconstruction business (not including fringe benefits, which typically max out at 30 percent). These figures were compiled from a sampling of TRP-certified deconstruction contractors who practice complete deconstruction (not soft-stripping) in various geographical areas.
Crew workers: $10 to 15/hour
Crew chiefs: $13 to 25/hour
Deconstruction managers: $50,000 to 65,000/year
A skilled carpenter who was making $28 an hour in wages and benefits is unlikely to train for a job that pays $13.00 an hour in wages and benefits. Furthermore, unemployment agencies do not encourage job seekers to accept lower wage jobs. According to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Green Book, a major factor in determining eligibility for unemployment compensation is "demonstrated ability and willingness to seek and accept suitable employment." A carpenter would likely turn down a deconstruction position since it is not "suitable employment." First, because of the 50 percent (plus or minus) decrease in earnings. Second, because deconstruction is not carpentry.
I have often referred to TRP and other deconstruction companies as the McDonald's of the construction industry because we offer entry-level employment -- stepping stones to more gainful employment. I've lost several good workers in just this way. While I hate to see them go, I'm proud that TRP prepared them for higher-paying jobs.
Here's the gist of the second criticism:
While your deconstruction training may be good, that's the end of TRP involvement. When the training is over, graduates are cast into the job market with no further assistance. You don't hire them and you don't help them find jobs.
This criticism is easier to rebut. In fact, TRP has the only deconstruction training program that assists trained workers to secure jobs. That assistance is built in to both the TRP business model and the training itself. Here's how:
Several years ago, to more effectively serve a growing geographical area while keeping as many reusable building materials as possible out of the waste stream, TRP began recruiting and certifying local contractors to do deconstruction to TRP standards and specifications. Many of the contractors TRP certifies must add new workers to their payrolls -- deconstruction workers.
In addition, whenever possible we invite local contractors to visit the on-the-job portion of the deconstruction training. While there, we encourage them to interview the trainees for possible jobs. Some of those contractors are already TRP-certified for deconstruction; others subsequently become certified. A contractor who wishes to hire a deconstruction worker at a later date can always contact us for a referral from our growing list of graduates.
We currently have TRP-certified deconstruction contractors in 10 states and 12 major metropolitan areas employing over 350 deconstruction workers.
|
