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Faculty instructor Jeffery Karnes shows plumbing student Nico Quichocho how to strip a PVC fitting at the St. Philip\u2019s College Southwest Campus. Credit: Vincent Reyna for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\nAs some San Antonio college students learned about refrigeration, electrical work, and more on Thursday, top leaders with the National Center for Construction Education and Research and the Association of General Contractors of America watched over their shoulders, eager to learn about the skills they will soon enter the market with.<\/p>\n
These students attend the St. Philip\u2019s College Southwest Campus, which houses the college\u2019s Allied Construction Trades programs. And the visit was part of the organizations\u2019 unveiling of a national survey, which highlights the demand for more qualified construction workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe survey looks at the severity of construction workforce shortages, the impact those shortages are having on firms and projects, and what contractors are doing to recruit, train and retain workers,\u201d said Ken Simonson, chief economist at Associated General Contractors of America, which represents more than 28,000 U.S. companies, general contractors, specialty and sub contractors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat this year\u2019s results make clear is that workforce shortages remain acute even as construction demand has softened in some parts of the industry,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The survey attracted 70 respondents who operate mainly in Texas, and 87% of them reported having openings for hourly craft positions. About 97% of those with hourly openings reported having a hard time filling those positions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf of Texas respondents say available candidates are not qualified to work in the industry because they lack needed skills, certificates, or licenses,\u201d Simonson said. <\/p>\n
Trade programs like those offered at the St. Philip\u2019s Southwest Campus, have taken a backseat to traditional four-year college degrees in federal workforce policy, Simonson said, despite these credentials leading to high-paying careers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At St. Philip\u2019s there\u2019s been high demand for these trades, with year-over-year growth in all of the construction trade programs offered at this campus \u2014 HVAC, Construction Technology, Electrical Trades, Plumbing and Welding \u2014 said Christopher Beardsall, dean for academic success at the Southwest Campus.<\/p>\n
Faculty instructor Jeffery Karnes shows plumbing student Nico Quichocho how to strip a PVC fitting at the St. Philip\u2019s College Southwest Campus. Credit: Vincent Reyna for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
Total enrollment for these programs grew by 963 students from the 2024-25 to the 2025-26 academic years, with Electrical Trades and Welding experiencing the biggest jumps, adding between 270 to 300 students each year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the survey, electricians and welders two of the hardest hourly jobs to fill in Texas, with the biggest reasons being candidates lacking qualifications and credentials to work in these fields.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudents are choosing the skills trades because they see a path to meaningful careers, economic mobility, and opportunities to build a future right here in our community,\u201d said Adena Williams Loston, St. Philip\u2019s College president.<\/p>\n
Students graduating from these programs earn an average of $48,000 annually, Loston said. But they are not always stopping at one certificate.<\/p>\n
Over the last five years, St. Philip\u2019s awarded 4,493 associate degrees to students in the plumbing, air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and welding programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur programs are producing strong results,\u201d said Alamo Colleges Chancellor Mike Flores. \u201cEighty-seven percent of technical education graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of completion of their certificate or degree.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lauren Mandel, president of the San Antonio AGC chapter, said the main issue that their 265 member companies are facing is workforce shortages. These are companies that handle large commercial projects such as hospitals, military facilities and data centers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe demand for projects like data centers is creating new construction career opportunities that aren\u2019t just jobs,\u201d Mandel said. \u201cThese are opportunities for folks to provide for their families and achieve upward economic mobility\u2026 Construction is not a fallback, it\u2019s a future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across the five Alamo Colleges District institutions, which also include Palo Alto College, San Antonio College, Northwest Vista College and Northeast Lakeview College, there are more than 17,500 students enrolled in career and technical education programs, with about 1,500 of them enrolled in construction-related programs, Flores said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SAReport-St-Phillips-2026-10.jpg\")
Alamo Colleges Chancellor Dr. Mike Flores welcomes members of the Association of General Contractors of America in their tour of the St. Philip\u2019s College Southwest Campus. Credit: Vincent Reyna for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n