As I was saying …

Until about 2008, NRCA members consistently described the work force as their most significant business problem. It was increasingly difficult to find workers at every level, but it especially was difficult to find entry-level workers.

We now have learned a recession and eruption of government regulation can change priorities in a hurry. But as the industry continues to recover, the work force issue will return, I'm afraid, and be worse than ever.

The principal problem is demographics. The U.S. work force is aging: The average construction industry worker is older than 40, and the average new apprentice roofing worker is older than 30.

But we also have a behavioral problem. A study conducted for The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress by The Gallup Organization concluded roofing workers enter the trade because they like the challenge of building things; they like working as part of a team; they like knowing they will learn a skill; and they expect there will be a relatively straight-line career path for them to follow.

When The Gallup Organization's team members reported the findings to the Alliance leadership, they said: "The good news is that you don't have a complete disaster on your hands—yet." They went on to say training is inconsistent, career paths are not well-understood and new hires often are ostracized from the rest of the work team. According to the survey, 40 percent of people who stayed were prepared to quit after their first week of work.

We also have a political problem. National immigration policy is a mess, with a host of new state immigration laws and a system that clearly does not enable enough legal immigrants into the country for jobs in industries such as roofing where there is a need for skilled labor.

What can we do about all this? First, NRCA and others will continue to work for sensible immigration policy at the federal level. However, we don't expect anything to happen in the near term with this being an election year and immigration being a volatile issue.

Second, smart contractors will look at the way they hire and train employees. What we politely call "on-the-job training" just isn't enough—unless it includes other methods of instruction. We also know foremen play a critical role in employee training and retention, and they need to be trained in management, communication and leadership skills.

Smart contractors always are looking for good people even if they don't have an immediate need to hire. As qualified and experienced workers become harder to find, this will become more important.

In some ways, the shortage of skilled workers is a good problem to have: It suggests, at least, the industry is busier than it has been. But in the long run, companies can grow only if they have good people. We all need to be paying closer attention, starting now.

Bill Good is NRCA's executive vice president.