Building the future: SC&RF’s 2024 workforce report

Ed Bullmer, Safety Director at Phoenix Crane, secured the crane simulator for SC&RF as part of SkillsUSA.

Over the course of the past year, the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Foundation (SC&RF) has done a comprehensive organizational evaluation, resulting in programs designed to impact workforce development.

As many SC&RA members know, the SC&RF invests in industry-specific research to benefit the Association and overall industry. And often, the research studies are used by SC&RA staff to advocate on behalf of industry companies to support long-term objectives such as permitting harmonization and specialized transportation and crane and rigging education. Some projects result in tools and resources like mobile apps and/or a benchmark for their business.

One such project, SC&RF’s first-of-its-kind “State of the Workforce in the Crane, Rigging and Specialized Transport Industry” research report, went public in 2023. After data collection at the beginning of this year, the 2024 State of the Workforce report will be released in late fall/early winter.

Representing the first year that data can be compared to the previous year’s report, the 2024 report enjoys a more diverse range of companies, and examines information on future hiring, the age of the workforce, gender diversity by position and the education level needed for different positions.

In addition to research, a second pillar within the SC&RF comprises educational assistance.

The Foundation’s long-established educational assistance program provides awards to individuals working in the industry who wish to advance their career, or those who would like to begin a career in the industry. Scholarships are divided into three categories: Collegiate, Partners in Education and Vocational/Technical.

The Company Training Grant (CT Grant) is for SC&RA member companies training multiple employees (two or more), and is designed to ease the financial burden of training and certification for companies who are bringing on new employees or training groups of employees.

Moreover, SC&RF’s Partners in Education program offers vocational/tech scholarships from 50-100 percent tuition. Participating partners include: CICB (Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau), ITI (Industrial Training International), Morrow Equipment Company and CCO Certification (National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators). Over $100,000 in tuition is still available to be awarded to member company employees or non-members.

Information on how to apply and the 2024 recipients of the CT Grant and scholarships can be found at scr-foundation.org.

Workforce challenges

The third pillar comprising the SC&RF consists of industry awareness to support workforce development. Through this pillar, SC&RF is committed to cultivating national awareness through a presence at key events with students and educators to promote careers in the crane, rigging or heavy transport sectors.

SC&RF encourages Association members to get involved in future events like Jill of All Trades, which introduces young women, grades 9-12, to the idea of a career in the skilled trades.

Events include SkillsUSA, which draws more than 16,000 students and educators from every state; Future Farmers of America (FFA), which will host over 69,000 students, educators, parents and administrators; and Jill of All Trades (JOAT), which was launched in 2014 in Ontario, and has now expanded across Canada and the U.S., introducing young women in grades 9-12 to the idea of a career in the skilled trades.

SC&RF board and committee members join SC&RF staff as well as representatives of the NCCCO Foundation at these various events to speak directly with students, parents and educators about what types of opportunities are available in the industry.

“SC&RF is committed to raising awareness at the higher, national level,” indicated Jackie Roskos, SC&RF Director. “And we encourage as many members as we can to join us if, when and however they can.”

While Roskos is encouraged by member participation in SC&RF’s Workforce Ambassador program – which brings together companies of all sizes to participate in activities focused on building industry awareness and fostering community relationships in order to bridge the skilled-labor gap and ensure a future workforce – she knows that the SC&RF’s presence at student-centric events will only be fortified and expanded by the addition of SC&RA members.

“We are thrilled to be invited to host a crane and rigging session on signals and lift planning at the Jill of All Trades event coming up in Ohio [October 24, Owens Community College], and we’re really looking for members, especially those from Ohio, to attend with us,” she explained. “We’ll have three to four groups throughout the day, and end each session with a lift.

“The event we attended in June, as observers, had a little bit of everything – from welding to concrete to construction – a lot of hands-on activities and demonstrations by females to females. And while this host-college does have a CDL side and heavy equipment programs, they don’t actually have crane/rigging, so we’re excited to be able to offer this piece of it as an opportunity and a potential career for these young women.”

This past June, Roskos, along with a handful of SC&RA members and a representative of the NCCCO Foundation, also attended the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, comprising the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education.

“The plan is to do as many events as we can, and to definitely return to that event,” she added. “We had a booth, and enough people stopped by that we had numerous conversations and a chance to talk about our industry. That said, I think it’s crucial to have people there with me. I can only show them videos and introduce them to the crane simulator, but what fascinates students is talking to people who are boots on the ground, in the industry, with insider information about cool jobs and the details that really capture their attention. It’s a relationship thing – and you can see that happening when people interact with other professionals who have this wealth of knowledge about a particular industry sector.”

Growing awareness

Jonelle Anderson, managing director at Vertical Industries, as well as chair of the Workforce Development Committee for the SC&RF, joined Roskos at both the JOAT and SkillsUSA events this year, and echoed her appeal for additional member participation.

“I think one major takeaway is that, I’m estimating, probably around ninety percent of the folks we talked to [at SkillsUSA] had no idea of the types of opportunities that are out there in our industry,” she acknowledged. “We did get a lot of takers on the simulator that we provided, so that was a big draw, as well as the VR headsets. But it’s a massive event, and we can have a much larger footprint. But again, we need member support on every level in order to achieve that. Whatever that ultimately looks like – whether it’s partnerships, integration, collaborations – we’re open to it.”

Anderson indicated that perhaps there is a way for SC&RF to provide a “transport” component to a house-building competition, or even integrate crane and rigging into skills events where it’s a good fit. “We really have an opportunity here to elevate our presence; we can really tap into these events and spotlight our industry.”

T.J. Cantwell, Executive Director for the NCCCO Foundation, joined Anderson and Roskos in Atlanta for SkillsUSA, and emphasized, “It was interesting and unique to see how many young people were attracted to rewarding careers outside of the standard college track. It just reminded me of how important it is to put ourselves in these places to talk to students who are looking for the types of opportunities that our industry provides.”