Labor as Advantage _Alt
“At this moment in time, it’s a good
time to become… an electrician.”
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia at the 2026 World Economic Forum, Davos
And he’s not alone. That observation, repeated by hyperscale technology companies building massive infrastructure across the United States, has become familiar in recent coverage of the construction boom surrounding artificial intelligence.
Across much of the American construction industry, the limiting factor is no longer capital or demand. It is labor—an estimated shortage of 439,000 new skilled workers.
Electrical construction sits directly inside that reality. Projects grow larger and more technologically complex, yet the supply of skilled tradespeople isn’t keeping pace. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment of electricians will grow about 6 percent between 2022 and 2032, much faster than the average occupation, with tens of thousands of openings each year as experienced workers retire and infrastructure investment expands.
The challenge is not simply numbers. Electrical work is skilled craft labor. Training takes years. Experience accumulates through apprenticeship, field supervision and exposure to increasingly complex systems. Crews capable of executing major projects cannot be assembled overnight.
In practice, the workforce itself becomes a form of infrastructure. Without skilled electricians, projects do not advance, or not at the level of quality or efficiency expected.
Our strategic question becomes straightforward: how do we attract, train and retain the people capable of doing the work?
Some firms treat labor primarily as capacity. When demand rises they recruit aggressively. When markets soften locally or regionally, workforces contract. In cyclical industries, that approach can seem efficient but it often produces turnover and uneven skill development.
Independent ownership reinforces that perspective.
At ERT member companies leadership remains close to the workforce. Owners and senior principals regularly visit jobsites, review operational performance and maintain direct relationships with supervisors and crews. Decisions about training and advancement are made within organizations that understand the realities of the field.
That proximity encourages a longer view of workforce investment. Apprenticeships, training programs and mentorship systems are treated not simply as requirements but as operational infrastructure.
The electrical trade has long relied on formal apprenticeship systems supported by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and contractor partners. These programs combine classroom education with on-the-job training over several years, creating a disciplined pathway into the craft. For ERT member companies those partnerships with organized labor are an essential foundation for workforce development.
Retention becomes a natural outcome.
When employees believe they are learning, advancing and participating in increasingly complex work they tend to stay. Stability benefits companies but it also benefits customers. Experienced crews execute projects more efficiently and solve problems faster when conditions change.
ERT’s collaborative structure strengthens that process further. Member companies exchange operational practices through critiques, benchmarking exercises and structured discussions. Lessons about training, supervision and workforce development circulate across the network, allowing each company to improve more quickly.
A workforce culture built around mastery rather than short-term capacity.
For general contractors and project owners the operational impact is clear. Skilled and stable crews improve coordination across trades, reduce disruptions and raise the overall reliability of complex projects.
The broader shortage of skilled tradespeople is not going away. Demographic shifts and infrastructure investment will continue to place pressure on the workforce pipeline for years to come.
Contractors will respond in different ways. Some will compete for available labor. ERT member companies focus on building it.
Because the most important infrastructure is the people who build it.
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