Is your construction business struggling to find skilled labor? You’re not alone. And this episode could be the game-changer you need.

Ryan Englin sits down with Nick Lawrence, President of Go Build Tennessee, a nonprofit working to reverse the skilled trades labor shortage by doing what most of the industry ignores: marketing to the next generation and their parents.

Nick shares the hard truths about why young people aren’t choosing the trades, what needs to change, and how Go Build is using social media, storytelling, and grassroots partnerships to rebrand construction as a first-choice career.

Whether you’re in Tennessee or not, the strategies Nick shares can be applied in any market.

Timestamps:

• [2:00] From tobacco fields to the trades. Nick’s journey into construction.
• [4:30] The real reason young people aren’t entering the trades.
• [6:10] Why marketing is the construction industry’s biggest weakness.
• [8:00] How Go Build Tennessee unites organizations to tackle the labor gap.
• [10:25] The matchmaking role Go Build plays with apprenticeship programs.
• [12:45] 11 million ad impressions later and how they’re reaching parents.
• [14:00] The one thing every contractor can do to solve the labor crisis.
• [16:30] Think construction is just hard, dirty work? Think again.
• [18:20] Want to start your own business? Learn a trade first.
• [21:00] How robotics and middle school programs are reshaping the future.

Connect With Nick:

Website: https://www.gobuildtennessee.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-lawrence-222882130/

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