Legislator proposes construction sector labor visa

The CEO of the Arlington, Virginia-based Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has issued a statement urging Congress to pass the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement, legislation introduced to establish a visa program specifically for non-United States citizens seeking to work in the construction industry.

The legislation was introduced today by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pennsylvania), who describes it as “investing in opportunities to strengthen our workforce and grow our economy [that] is a win-win for American workers and businesses.”

The proposed measure would establish the first visa program to provide a lawful pathway for people to enter the construction industry.

“Congressman Smucker’s legislation will provide a much needed, lawful, responsible and temporary way for firms to find workers,” AGC CEO Jeffrey D. Shoaf says.

“Contractors listed workforce shortages as the number one cause of delayed construction projects," he continues, referencing a survey co-sponsored by AGC this summer. "In fact, 92 percent of construction firms report they are having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to hire.

“Of course, the long-term solution is for Congress and the Trump administration to work together to reinvigorate our long-neglected career and technical education and training programs. Today, 80 percent of federal workforce dollars support four-year college degree programs, despite the fact only 38 percent of Americans earn such a degree.

“Washington officials can, and must, fix that funding imbalance by passing a new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that includes significantly more funds dedicated to workforce training, and they need to double funding for the Perkins Act, which supports high-school classes focused on crafts like construction."

Such an effort to revamp the American workforce will not be easy and will take a span of several years.

“Even if Congress were to significantly boost funding for construction education and training tomorrow, it would still take years for schools and training centers to provide the number of workers construction firms need,” Shoaf says.

“Establishing a visa program for construction occupations provides the kind of lawful, temporary, traceable and taxable pathway needed to serve as a short-term solution while we rebuild the domestic pipeline for preparing new construction workers."

Shoaf says AGC and its  28,000 member firms will do everything possible to encourage Congress to swiftly pass the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act and for President Donald Trump to then sign it into law.

“The Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act is a common sense, bipartisan and market-driven solution that addresses workforce shortages in key industries while ensuring American workers are prioritized," Smucker says. "This guest worker program will help employers fill positions that have remained vacant for months and grow our economy.”