Builders seek to bulk up

The Gulf Coast's much-bemoaned shortage of qualified construction workers has gotten the attention of the Tampa Builders Workforce Alliance, which plans to host a free event Sept. 13 designed to link contractors, subcontractors and suppliers with organizations that help train and place employees.

Taking place from 2-4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 4328 Garden Vista Drive, Riverview, the first Construction Connection follows on the heels of a similar event held in May by the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange in the Sarasota-Manatee market. Dubbed the Construction Rodeo, that event drew representatives from 50 area companies looking to give their workforce a boost. Some 350 prospective potential employees — mostly students — also attended.

Construction Connection isn't a job fair, per se, but if it's anything like the Construction Rodeo, more than a few offers of employment will be made and accepted. Organizers say Construction Connection is a prime chance for hiring staff, supervisors and other management personnel to build up a pool of talent from which to draw. Career development agencies from Polk to Manatee counties will be represented, making it a way for construction companies to find talented workers who hail from outside their immediate vicinity.