Justin Wisor, Deputy Chief Facilities Officer, Salisbury University.
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For years, we have talked about the skilled labor shortage as a future challenge. From my perspective working in facilities and operations, that future has arrived.
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, carpenters, mechanics and other skilled professionals are increasingly difficult to recruit, while employees carrying decades of institutional and technical knowledge are moving closer to retirement.
While I see this challenge through the lens of facilities management, this is not simply a facilities problem. Any organization that owns, operates or depends on physical infrastructure has exposure. Universities, hospitals, municipalities, manufacturers, hotels, school systems and countless other organizations depend on skilled professionals to keep operations functioning.
The question leaders should be asking is no longer simply, “Can we fill the next vacancy?” It is, “What happens to our organization if we cannot?”
Stop waiting for the pipeline to fix itself.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an average of 72,700 openings for electricians are projected each year from 2025 to 2035. For HVAC and refrigeration mechanics and installers, BLS projects approximately 40,600 openings annually. Many are expected to result from workers transferring occupations or leaving the labor force, including through retirement.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations can make is assuming that when an experienced employee leaves, we can simply post the position and hire another. Throughout my career, I have seen how much knowledge can reside with one technician who has worked with a building or system for decades. A job posting might produce another qualified technician, but it cannot immediately replace 20 to 30 years of familiarity with a campus, building portfolio, central plant or complicated piece of equipment.
I believe we need to shift our thinking from simply finding employees to building employees. Instead of just asking, “Where are we going to find our next electrician?” we should also be asking, “How are we going to create our next electrician?”
That may require apprenticeships, helper positions, internships, vocational partnerships and structured career progression. You may need to hire individuals who do not possess every skill on day one but have the aptitude and desire to develop them.
Plan for people like you plan for buildings.
In facilities, we spend considerable time looking ahead. We evaluate roofs, mechanical systems and infrastructure; forecast capital renewal; and build deferred-maintenance plans five, 10 or even 20 years into the future. Why wouldn’t we apply the same discipline to the people responsible for maintaining them?
For example, which positions in your organization have historically been difficult to recruit? Who possesses specialized knowledge that only one or two employees understand? Which licenses and certifications take years to obtain? Where are you dependent on one individual?
An organizational chart might show four electricians, but if three possess most of the institutional knowledge or specialized expertise, the operational risk looks different. To address this, I recommend developing a three- to five-year workforce continuity plan for critical skilled positions alongside your capital and operational planning.
Capture knowledge before it leaves.
Recruitment alone will not solve another major risk: institutional knowledge.
Every facilities organization I have worked with has employees who know things that never made it onto a drawing or into a procedure. They know which valve actually isolates a building, why an electrical modification was made years ago or which piece of equipment requires an unusual startup procedure.
Knowledge transfer should be intentional and ongoing. Make cross-training, mentorship, standard operating procedures, photographs, videos, equipment documentation and system diagrams part of your normal operations rather than something attempted during an employee’s final weeks. One of the most valuable things an experienced employee can give an organization is a more capable generation to fill in the gap they leave behind.
Build the pipeline before you need it.
Organizations cannot solve this problem entirely within their own walls. A Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute study estimates that U.S. manufacturing could require approximately 3.8 million new employees between 2024 and 2033, with as many as 1.9 million positions potentially going unfilled if skill and applicant gaps persist. Organizations maintaining physical infrastructure will increasingly compete with manufacturing, construction, utilities and other industries for many of the same skilled workers.
This is why I recommend making strategic partnerships with technical schools, community colleges, high schools, workforce organizations and apprenticeship programs before vacancies occur. Invite students into your operations. Let them see central plants, building-automation systems and modern equipment. Create internships, apprenticeships and job-shadowing opportunities. We cannot expect young people to pursue careers they have never had an opportunity to see.
We also need to modernize how we talk about these careers. Today’s skilled technician may work with automation, sensors, analytics, computerized maintenance systems, artificial intelligence and sophisticated equipment. These careers combine technology with hands-on problem-solving and offer real opportunities for advancement.
Know your operational breaking point.
Building a workforce pipeline takes years, but organizations still need to operate tomorrow. That means contingency planning must happen simultaneously.
If you currently employ six HVAC technicians, what happens at five? At four? At three? When does preventive maintenance begin to suffer? When does response time increase? When do contractors become necessary, and what does that cost?
Identify contractors and partners in advance. Cross-train employees. Determine which services could temporarily be outsourced or reduced. Understand which functions are mission-critical and where technology can allow existing employees to accomplish more.
The bottom line is this: Workforce shortages are more than simply a recruiting problem. Treat them as an operational continuity risk and start proactively building up your pipeline now.
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