RED Talk — The Workforce Shortage Is Sitting in the Trailer

For years, the construction industry has blamed its workforce shortage on a lack of people entering the trades. We’ve invested heavily in recruitment, outreach, and training programs, yet the labor gap continues to grow. 

What if the problem isn’t who isn’t coming into the industry—but who is leaving it? 

In this RED Talk, Jennifer Dewees challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding construction’s workforce crisis. Drawing on decades of experience in construction, workforce development, and leadership, she argues that the industry’s greatest challenge isn’t attracting talent—it’s retaining it. The real workforce shortage may be sitting in the trailer, where supervisors, project managers, and company leaders shape the daily experiences that determine whether employees stay, grow, or walk away. 

By examining the connection between leadership, culture, and retention, this talk offers a powerful call to action: if we want to build the workforce of the future, we must first build leaders worth following.