Since a shift in the American mind-set after WWII to a consumer-based society, frugality and resourcefulness hasn’t played much of a role in U.S. industry.   Cheap energy and materials didn’t help the situation as inefficient and wasteful construction practices created over-sized, energy-hungry McMansions.  With globalization, it seems like  everything we buy travels more than most of us could possibly afford to.  Local sawmills struggle while contractors buy defective 2x4s from Russia, Austria, and Canada.   A discounted tool from China may last one job, breaks, and is then thrown into the waste stream with all the other cheap plastic stuff we consume.  Planned obsolescence guarantees that things won’t last long, while mono-cropped  lumber sources have actually created weaker wood.  We’ve reached a crossroads at which things have to change.  As threats of climate change and quality of life nudge the shift to a healthier society, construction plays a vital role.   With population growth and structural failure, housing and commercial construction continue to provide a basic need.

“U.S. Department of Labor estimates that in the next 10 years, the construction industry alone must recruit and train almost 250,000 workers annually to meet demand—a figure that doesn’t include new jobs created by retrofitting and weatherizing existing buildings.”

“With shorter programs and lower tuitions—about $2,360 on average nationwide—than four-year schools, community colleges present fewer barriers to entry for students than private technical colleges or even big, state universities. Plus, many technical and career programs are designed to train and certify workers for in-demand fields in less than a year compared to conventional four-year degree programs.”

“With the national unemployment rate continuing to trudge upward and dismal economic news stealing the headlines daily, a record number of Americans are deciding to hit the books. Post-secondary education is luring thousands of laid-off workers with the promise of readying them for jobs in the highly touted “green” jobs sector.”

A-B Tech’s Construction Science program is Asheville’s Green Building School, and we’re educating both new builders and carpenters as well as building professionals who want to expand their level of experience in construction management and innovative green building techniques. Our affordable and highly-respected program is giving our students what they’re looking for and preparing them with cutting-edge skills for today’s building market.

Read more about Asheville’s Green Building School.

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Quotes are taken from Sustainable Industries Economic Forums 2009—The Business Source for Leaders—Retraining America’s Workforce—Sara Stroud
http://www.sustainableindustries.com/greenbuilding/42017582.html