February 2, 2004
Image building | Maine's construction industry gets serious about rehabbing its sketchy public perception
By Scott Tompkins
Willie Nelson sang, "Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys / Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks / Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such," but it seems like his advice could use some updating.
According to the Jobs Rated Almanac, which periodically ranks the desirability of 250 different jobs by factors such as income, stress, physical demands, potential growth, job security and work environment, doctors and lawyers no longer hold prime spots, having fallen to numbers 39 and 60, respectively.
The bottom-of-the-barrel cowboy reference is equally outdated, with oil field roustabouts now grabbing the dubious 250th rung on the employment ladder. Cowboys have since lassoed the 246th spot, placing them one notch above another perennially low-ranked group ˆ construction workers.
Mired knee-deep in stereotypes thicker than quick-set concrete, construction workers have long endured the public's disdain while nobly building the infrastructure that improves the collective life of the public. Where would our society be without sturdy schools, libraries and hospitals? Without a safe, efficient network of roads, railways and bridges? Without power plants to keep our homes lit and warm? Without facilities to pump fresh water in and sewage out?
These crucial elements of our day-to-day lives don't just magically appear; construction workers build them. And they build them with an overwhelming sense of pride uncommon to most other professions.
So why the continual bad rap? Perhaps it's a holdover from the Works Progress Administration programs implemented under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Founded in 1935, the WPA was charged with taking the unemployed off the dole and putting them to work in a variety of ways, including building America's infrastructure. Critics of the plan sought to undermine FDR's program by casting participants in the most unflattering light possible.
"Those who wish to destroy the federal work program used to assure the American people that WPA workers were only a lot of bums and loafers ˆ they didn't really work, they just leaned on their shovels," noted WPA Assistant Administrator Florence Kerr in a 1939 speech. "Tales about WPA shovel-leaners have had an immense circulation."
Fortunately, actions really do speak louder than words, as evidenced by the fact that WPA workers constructed 116,000 buildings, 78,000 bridges and 651,000 miles of road nationwide before the program ended in 1943.
Unfortunately, the unsavory shovel-leaning depictions still exist today. Add a dose of outdated '70s-era machismo and decades of clichéd media representations, and what's left is a toxic swirl of negative construction industry imagery.
That's all about to change, though, thanks to a concerted effort by Associated Constructors of Maine, the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine chapters of Associated Builders & Contractors and the National Association of Women in Construction.
Positive vibration
Operating under the Maine Construction Careers Alliance banner, these industry organizations have combined resources to mount a public relations campaign designed to promote a positive image of the construction industry.
The campaign goal is threefold:
ˆ Improve the public's perception of construction;
ˆ Attract a larger, more diverse work force;
ˆ Communicate the correlation between infrastructure improvements and economic development.
The centerpiece of the campaign will be a series of high-quality television ads, starting in the spring on stations in the Portland and Bangor markets, depicting many of construction's positive aspects, including illuminating the industry's heroic side. Much like the army of ironworkers and heavy equipment operators who toiled around the clock to clean up Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, local constructors work day in and day out to build a better Maine.
The ads also will focus on career opportunities available, technological advancements within the industry and the importance of maintaining a healthy infrastructure. Each spot will end with the tagline, "Build Your Future. Build Maine," and display a Web address for viewers to visit for more information, including specific job openings at local firms. (The site has yet to be created, but for now you can visit www.acm-inc.org.)
"To satisfy the growing need for qualified workers at all levels of our industry, we first need to change people's preconceived notions regarding construction," said 2004 ACM President Dana Littlefield. One need only look at the Fox network's Joe Millionaire "reality" program to see a snapshot of how the industry is portrayed. Readers might recall that the show's namesake was a somewhat muscle-bound chap who felt it necessary to lie about his construction job and salary in order to attract women.
Counteracting rafts of such negative stereotypes won't be easy, which is why the MCCA plans to run a multi-year image campaign. Constructors thus far have committed approximately $135,000 per year for the next three years to produce and air the TV ads, as well as develop and maintain the accompanying website.
However, the MCCA steering committee realizes that dollar figure represents only about half of what needs to be spent annually to influence public opinion. That's why fundraising efforts are being expanded to include project owners who procure construction services.
"The conventional wisdom is that no one sells anything until someone builds something," said Ken Burrill, president of Constructive Solutions and an MCCA steering committee member. "If we don't have an adequate construction workforce available, then building schedules lengthen, projects become more expensive and manufacturers and retailers suffer costly delays."
Businesses from supermarkets and discount stores to call centers and factories are affected by the shortage of qualified construction workers. And it's not just a question of being able to expand capacity or construct new facilities; it's also a matter of getting products to market efficiently via an aging transportation system. The wheels of Maine commerce literally are kept rolling by the state's constructors.
The MCCA image campaign seeks to dispel many of the misconceptions regarding the industry, perhaps the most egregious being that construction is a dead-end job. The reality is that construction offers challenging, rewarding jobs with accessible career paths. In fact, today's construction workers are highly trained and often highly educated professionals more apt to be using global positioning satellite technology, computerized machinery and lasers than swinging hammers and hoisting shovels.
"Ultimately, we want parents and educators to view construction as a viable career choice for kids. We want to show women and minorities the numerous opportunities that exist, and we want legislators and voters to better understand the link between infrastructure and the economy," ACM's Littlefield continued. "All of that hinges on first providing the public with a more positive view of the industry."
In the words of tennis champion Andre Agassi, "Image is everything."
According to the Jobs Rated Almanac, which periodically ranks the desirability of 250 different jobs by factors such as income, stress, physical demands, potential growth, job security and work environment, doctors and lawyers no longer hold prime spots, having fallen to numbers 39 and 60, respectively.
The bottom-of-the-barrel cowboy reference is equally outdated, with oil field roustabouts now grabbing the dubious 250th rung on the employment ladder. Cowboys have since lassoed the 246th spot, placing them one notch above another perennially low-ranked group ˆ construction workers.
Mired knee-deep in stereotypes thicker than quick-set concrete, construction workers have long endured the public's disdain while nobly building the infrastructure that improves the collective life of the public. Where would our society be without sturdy schools, libraries and hospitals? Without a safe, efficient network of roads, railways and bridges? Without power plants to keep our homes lit and warm? Without facilities to pump fresh water in and sewage out?
These crucial elements of our day-to-day lives don't just magically appear; construction workers build them. And they build them with an overwhelming sense of pride uncommon to most other professions.
So why the continual bad rap? Perhaps it's a holdover from the Works Progress Administration programs implemented under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Founded in 1935, the WPA was charged with taking the unemployed off the dole and putting them to work in a variety of ways, including building America's infrastructure. Critics of the plan sought to undermine FDR's program by casting participants in the most unflattering light possible.
"Those who wish to destroy the federal work program used to assure the American people that WPA workers were only a lot of bums and loafers ˆ they didn't really work, they just leaned on their shovels," noted WPA Assistant Administrator Florence Kerr in a 1939 speech. "Tales about WPA shovel-leaners have had an immense circulation."
Fortunately, actions really do speak louder than words, as evidenced by the fact that WPA workers constructed 116,000 buildings, 78,000 bridges and 651,000 miles of road nationwide before the program ended in 1943.
Unfortunately, the unsavory shovel-leaning depictions still exist today. Add a dose of outdated '70s-era machismo and decades of clichéd media representations, and what's left is a toxic swirl of negative construction industry imagery.
That's all about to change, though, thanks to a concerted effort by Associated Constructors of Maine, the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine chapters of Associated Builders & Contractors and the National Association of Women in Construction.
Positive vibration
Operating under the Maine Construction Careers Alliance banner, these industry organizations have combined resources to mount a public relations campaign designed to promote a positive image of the construction industry.
The campaign goal is threefold:
ˆ Improve the public's perception of construction;
ˆ Attract a larger, more diverse work force;
ˆ Communicate the correlation between infrastructure improvements and economic development.
The centerpiece of the campaign will be a series of high-quality television ads, starting in the spring on stations in the Portland and Bangor markets, depicting many of construction's positive aspects, including illuminating the industry's heroic side. Much like the army of ironworkers and heavy equipment operators who toiled around the clock to clean up Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, local constructors work day in and day out to build a better Maine.
The ads also will focus on career opportunities available, technological advancements within the industry and the importance of maintaining a healthy infrastructure. Each spot will end with the tagline, "Build Your Future. Build Maine," and display a Web address for viewers to visit for more information, including specific job openings at local firms. (The site has yet to be created, but for now you can visit www.acm-inc.org.)
"To satisfy the growing need for qualified workers at all levels of our industry, we first need to change people's preconceived notions regarding construction," said 2004 ACM President Dana Littlefield. One need only look at the Fox network's Joe Millionaire "reality" program to see a snapshot of how the industry is portrayed. Readers might recall that the show's namesake was a somewhat muscle-bound chap who felt it necessary to lie about his construction job and salary in order to attract women.
Counteracting rafts of such negative stereotypes won't be easy, which is why the MCCA plans to run a multi-year image campaign. Constructors thus far have committed approximately $135,000 per year for the next three years to produce and air the TV ads, as well as develop and maintain the accompanying website.
However, the MCCA steering committee realizes that dollar figure represents only about half of what needs to be spent annually to influence public opinion. That's why fundraising efforts are being expanded to include project owners who procure construction services.
"The conventional wisdom is that no one sells anything until someone builds something," said Ken Burrill, president of Constructive Solutions and an MCCA steering committee member. "If we don't have an adequate construction workforce available, then building schedules lengthen, projects become more expensive and manufacturers and retailers suffer costly delays."
Businesses from supermarkets and discount stores to call centers and factories are affected by the shortage of qualified construction workers. And it's not just a question of being able to expand capacity or construct new facilities; it's also a matter of getting products to market efficiently via an aging transportation system. The wheels of Maine commerce literally are kept rolling by the state's constructors.
The MCCA image campaign seeks to dispel many of the misconceptions regarding the industry, perhaps the most egregious being that construction is a dead-end job. The reality is that construction offers challenging, rewarding jobs with accessible career paths. In fact, today's construction workers are highly trained and often highly educated professionals more apt to be using global positioning satellite technology, computerized machinery and lasers than swinging hammers and hoisting shovels.
"Ultimately, we want parents and educators to view construction as a viable career choice for kids. We want to show women and minorities the numerous opportunities that exist, and we want legislators and voters to better understand the link between infrastructure and the economy," ACM's Littlefield continued. "All of that hinges on first providing the public with a more positive view of the industry."
In the words of tennis champion Andre Agassi, "Image is everything."
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