Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, recently joined host Mark Nuce on Columbus Concerns, a public affairs program and podcast from North American Broadcasting.
The conversation covered the historic growth underway in Central Ohio’s construction industry, the many paths into a skilled trades career and the workforce needed to build the region’s future.
What Is the Building and Construction Trades Council?
The interview began with Hager explaining what the C/COBCTC is and what they do, including acting as the unified voice for affiliated Local Union on industry issues, workforce development and political issues such as fair wages, quality healthcare and retirement.
A Historic Construction Boom in Central Ohio
According to Hager, 12 years ago, the C/COBCTC’s affiliated Local Unions combined to about 4 million work hours in one calendar year. Three years ago, that number reached 10 million hours and this year, it’s on pace to top 20 million — a roughly 600 percent increase in work hours over 12 years.
Hager pointed to specific local numbers as evidence of that growth:
- IBEW Local 683 (Columbus) has grown from about 1,200 members 12 years ago to 4,000 members today, with apprentices growing from about 150 to 950.
- IBEW Local 1105 (Newark/Licking County) has grown from about 400 members to 4,000 members, recently taking in its largest first-year apprenticeship class and purchasing a new training center.
- IBEW Local 575 (Portsmouth) has grown from about 400 members to 600 members.
Major Projects Driving Demand for Skilled Trades
The conversation then turned to several major projects transforming the region. He started with Phase I of the Intel project, a $28 billion investment to build a semiconductor manufacturing plant known as a fab (with a potential additional $80 billion to build out the full 400-acre site). Next was Meta’s $6 billion investment and Amazon’s $19 billion investment. He also highlighted the $5 billion Honda/LG battery plant in Fayette County. The conversation concluded with a look ahead to a proposed data center and energy center project in Pike County that could reach $500 billion, with an estimated 34,000 construction workers needed at peak, including 17,000 electricians. Pike County has an estimated population of about 27,000.
Projects of this scale change the conversation with prospective apprentices and their families, Hager said. Where he once pointed to jobs lasting a few months, he can now point to projects like Intel that could span 25 years, which is long enough for an apprentice to start a career on day one and retire without ever working on another project.
No Experience Needed: How Apprenticeship Works
Asked whether Registered Apprenticeship Programs require prior skills, Hager said programs accept people at every experience level, from those with no shop class or construction background to experienced workers coming from open-shop or merit backgrounds without benefits, healthcare, pension or annuity. Applicants are assessed and slotted appropriately so they can work toward becoming a journey-level or mechanic member.
Hager also noted there are no age limits. Apprenticeship applicants range from 17-year-old high school graduates to people in their early-to-mid 50s, he said, adding that advancements in technology have helped reduce the physical toll of trades work, allowing many members to work into their early and mid-60s.
Electricians and Pipefitters in High Demand
When companies such as Intel, Nvidia, Meta, and Amazon invest in Central Ohio, their primary concern isn’t water, land, community pushback, or money, but the workforce, particularly pipefitters and electricians, Hager noted. He cited comments from Nvidia’s CEO urging young people to consider trades such as electrical work rather than computer programming. The biggest risk to the region’s ongoing AI-driven construction boom is a shortage of pipefitters and electricians, Hager said.
Rebuilding Infrastructure: I-70 and the New Airport Terminal
Beyond private investment, Hager pointed to major public infrastructure projects underway, including the rebuilding of I-70 and a new $2 billion airport terminal, as well as a $2 billion OSU Medical Center project. This level of investment, combined with a growing population in Central Ohio, will require not only electricians and pipefitters but cement masons, bricklayers, operating engineers, laborers, ironworkers, mechanical insulators and sprinkler fitters to build the roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and community centers the region will need, Hager said.
Expanding Opportunities for Women and People of Color
Hager also noted that while women make up only about 3 percent of the broader open-shop and non-union construction workforce, they make up 18 percent of members in the C/COBCTC’s affiliated Registered Apprenticeship Programs. That is about six times the national average, though still below where the council wants it. He credited the council’s Building Futures Apprenticeship Readiness Program, modeled in part on programs in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago, with focusing outreach on underserved and underrepresented communities, including women, people of color, veterans and returning citizens.
Some of the top reasons women give for choosing a career in the union building trades include equal pay under Collective Bargaining Agreements and strong, family-oriented healthcare with low deductibles. Additionally, Building Futures provides instruction in workplace soft skills and math, including algebra and geometry, as well as financial counseling on topics such as loans, housing and budgeting.
Bringing Vocational Education Back to Schools
Vocational and shop class offerings in high schools have declined over the years, often replaced by computer labs. Hager explained that when school administrators reach out to him, he recommends teaching students fundamentals such as reading a tape measure, basic math and measurement, hand tool safety and introductory carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC skills.
He shared that Building Futures’ first cohort, which began in January 2018 with 26 participants, began with a basic tape-measure test, and 22 of the 26 participants failed it, underscoring the need for foundational skills training.
For a more in-depth discussion of these topics, listen to Hager’s entire interview on the Columbus Concerns podcast.