Local governments across the nation are planning to expand or upgrade wireless infrastructure with funds from both the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, but one challenge is on the horizon. According to Urgent Communications, 1.7 million “legacy” infrastructure workers are expected to retire in the coming decade.
“National, state, and local leaders risk squandering this window of opportunity if they focus only on future job creation without addressing the cracking foundation of the country’s current workforce,” noted a report from The Brookings Institute by Joseph Kane. “Many infrastructure leaders have experience building projects, but far less in collaborating with workforce partners or recruiting and retaining talent.” Additionally, a lack of diversity—especially among management and advanced workers—is driving concerns.
According to The Brookings Institute, 16.6 million people are employed in infrastructure-related roles across the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 10 percent of “highly skilled and advanced employees working in infrastructure” will retire each year for the next 10 years. Subsequently, according to The Brookings Institute report, the projected job growth from new federal infrastructure funding equals 1.5 million new jobs over the same decade.
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