Nevada Builders Alliance partners with US Army to grow construction workforce

The Nevada Builders Alliance has partnered with the U.S. Army in order to help recruit new talent into the construction workforce in the Silver State.

The Nevada Builders Alliance and the U.S. Army celebrated their new partnership with the U.S. Army Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) program. The two entities marked the partnership with a signing ceremony on July 17 held outside the Rancharrah Pavilion in Reno.

The PaYS youth army program provides an opportunity for young adults to serve their country while simultaneously preparing for the workforce after they serve.

“The intent of the PaYs program is to provide additional recruiting incentives to increase the army stability to man the force and to provide a job with a leading employer once they come back,” Lt. Col. Michael Gomez, commander of the U.S. Army Northern California Recruiting Battalion, said. “It will give these employers the skills these future soldiers will have learned whether they have served their first term in the United States Army or they come back from training in the Army Reserves.”

The new partnership with the Nevada Builders Alliance will provide these veterans with job interviews with Nevada construction employers once they complete their service.

“We benefit, (employers) benefit and that is really how we build our future leaders,” Lt. Col. Gomez said.

The PaYS Program started in 2000 and there are hundreds of partnerships across the country. The Nevada Builders Alliance joins several other business partnerships within the state of Nevada including Renown, which became a partner earlier this year. The Nevada Builders Alliance is the first statewide partnership within Nevada.

The goal of the new partnership between the U.S. Army and the Nevada Builders Alliance is to encourage more people to pursue a career within the Nevada construction industry.

“The demand on the industry is tremendous,” Aaron West, CEO of the Nevada Builders Alliance, said. “(This partnership) is really just another tool in our toolbox.”

During the Recession, many of the skilled employees transferred to other industries or pursued construction jobs in other states when they could not find work. Now that the economy has rebounded, there is an increasing demand for additional labor within the construction industry, especially in Northern Nevada.

“From a construction workforce demand, we are harder hit in the north,” West said.

West explained that the construction employers he talks to say that the main things they are looking for in potential employees are a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibly. From there, employers can teach veterans the skills they need to be successful in the construction industry.

“It is inherent,” West said about veterans’ work ethic. “It is not something that employers have to teach.”

The Nevada Builders Alliance currently has more than 750 members statewide. These companies will have the opportunity to benefit from this new partnership.

“We look forward to placing some very capable individuals within our member companies,” West said.

For more information about the Nevada Builders Association, visit www.nevadabuilders.org. For more information about the PaYS Program, visit armypays.com.