New Report: Craft Training Remains Powerful, Yet Underutilized Tool for Contractors

Providing construction craft training can increase productivity and work quality, accelerate career readiness and technical proficiency and improve behavior and accountability, according to a new report from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). However, many companies do not offer the formal training that leads to these benefits. 

Amid rising pressure on contractors from deadlines, budgets and ongoing labor challenges, From Training to Performance: Boosting Productivity, Safety and Retention asserts that training remains an impactful tool. Key findings from the report include: 

• Companies that train achieve labor productivity targets over 65% of the time, compared to just 53% for those that don’t. 

• More than 80% of respondents said trained workers reach productivity 6–18 months faster than those learning only through informal experience. 

• Absenteeism rates for craft professionals at companies that offer training are 17% lower than at companies that do not.  

The report emphasizes that investing in training should not be seen as a cost, but a competitive advantage for willing contractors; failure to invest in standardized training can lead to increases in rework, delays, safety incidents and adds to retention challenges. 

The report also highlights the troubling lack of consistent, company-provided training across the construction industry. Nearly 30% of all craft workers report having received no craft training at all, with many more only receiving training as needed. Of those who do receive training, nearly a quarter pay for it themselves out-of-pocket, and up to another quarter share the cost with their employer or union. 

Access the report to dig deeper into how training impacts performance.