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The U.S. construction materials and broader construction sector face a severe, persistent labour shortage, with approximately 350,000 to 650,000 positions remaining unfilled monthly.
A major contributor to this challenge is the shortage of skilled younger workers. As a result, Lionmark is committed to finding innovative ways to attract, engage, and develop the next generation of talent.
Build My Future events are hosted by the Missouri Chapter of the Association of General Contractors (AGC) and invites schools from across southern Missouri to participate in an immersive, hands-on career exploration event showcasing opportunities within the construction industry.
The inaugural event launched in 2017 and hosted 852 students. Since then, it has grown exponentially. Today, Build My Future is the largest event of its kind in the United States, expanding to 8 locations across the state of Missouri and hosting a total of 11,572 students - demonstrating both the scale of the workforce challenge and the appetite for hands-on learning experiences.
Pace Construction, part of the Lionmark Group, has supported the event for the last few years providing young people with the opportunity to see, touch, and explore plant and machinery and is an ideal way to reach out to young people who may not plan to go to college but are still looking for a structured career path.
Following the event’s success, three local high schools contacted Pace Construction to share how much their students had enjoyed the Pace booth and to ask whether their classes could visit an active job site. In response, Pace Construction coordinated site visits for students from each of the three schools.
During these visits, students toured one of Pace’s mobile asphalt plants, gaining first-hand insight into the production process and the rigorous material testing required to ensure high-quality output. The experience continued on-site, where students followed the asphalt from the plant to the job location, observing how it is placed through the paver and compacted in real time.
By extending engagement beyond the event and into real-world environments, Pace Construction provided students with a deeper understanding of careers in our sector, helping to spark interest, build awareness, and strengthen the future talent pipeline.
What a great opportunity for Pace Construction to get a chance to engage with local high school students to showcase the highway construction industry. The construction industry, like many industries, is facing an aging workforce that must be backfilled in order to maintain the health of the industry. We are thankful for the educators who agreed to bring the students out so that we could show off how a career in construction can not only be rewarding from a financial standpoint, but also provides a sense of pride in being able to help build the community that they live in.
