It’s not tariffs. It’s not rates. It’s boots on the ground.
If you’ve driven through just about any community in the Midwest lately, you’ve probably noticed something: new construction is picking up steam. There’s plenty of interest. Farmers are ready to expand. Families want to build. Contractors want to keep rolling. And materials? Despite headlines about tariffs on lumber, supply is in better shape than you might think, thanks to stocking up before the policies hit.
“Honestly, we’re in a good spot,” Dave Helms, VP of CFE Lumber, reports. “Most of our yards are well-stocked. Lumber’s not holding anything up. Windows and hardware might be a little tighter, but nothing that’s going to shut down a project.”
The Bottleneck
The reality is, there just aren’t enough good laborers to go around. Contractors are booked solid, and they can only move as fast as the crew they’ve got—and right now, good help is hard to find. When you’re short on dependable workers, progress slows down. Add in electricians or plumbers who are booked out for weeks, and timelines start to stretch.
It’s a challenge playing out across the country, but it hits differently in rural areas where the bench is smaller to begin with. When a top-notch local contractor says he can’t get to your project until winter or next year, you believe him. And the problem is deeper than just not having enough workers. There’s a deeper shortage in the pipeline, especially when it comes to instructors.
Where’s the Next Generation?
Shane Peterson sees the problem from two sides. Now serving as the Dean of Applied Technology at Northwest Iowa Community College (NCC), Shane helps oversee programs that prepare students for careers in heavy equipment operation, electrical, welding, diesel technology and more. But before that, he spent years in the high school classroom as an industrial tech teacher.
That’s where the cracks started to show.
“It’s a two-fold issue,” Shane says. “There aren’t enough instructors, and the people who could teach can make significantly more working in the industry.”
Without licensed instructors, high schools are forced to cut back on shop and construction classes—if they can offer them at all. And without that early exposure, students aren’t given the opportunity to even take a look into the trades.
“The interest is there,” Shane says, “but if you can’t give kids the chance to try it out, how can they ever picture themselves doing it?”
Early Exposure
Makes a Difference There’s reason for optimism. In addition to its college programs, NCC works closely with area high schools to give students early access to hands-on learning. Through partnerships, juniors and seniors can take college-level trade classes for credit while still in high school, getting experience in areas like welding, automotive, engineering design and manufacturing.
“It opens their eyes,” Shane says. “They realize they don’t have to wait until after graduation to start learning this stuff. And it helps them see there’s a real future in it.”
It’s not just NCC. Schools and technical colleges across Iowa are launching or expanding similar programs. The infrastructure is beginning to take shape. What’s needed now is continued momentum and strong support from employers willing to bridge the gap between education and employment.
CFE Lumber Steps Up
That’s why CFE Lumber hasn’t waited for someone else to solve the problem. For years, CFE has run a hands-on student work program that connects high schoolers with job site and lumberyard experience, giving them a direct line into construction careers.
“We’re trying to meet them where they’re at,” offers Dave. “That means putting them in a real environment—not just shadowing, but actually learning how this work gets done.”
Students in the program assist with material handling, basic estimating, inventory control, tool usage and even some on-site prep work. More importantly, they get a taste of what the trades offer: structure, teamwork, real results and a career path that doesn’t always require a four-year degree.
“We’re not saying every kid should be in construction,” Dave adds. “But we want them to know it’s an option. A good one.”
Some students who started in the program have returned in summer months or after graduation. A few have enrolled in building trades or construction management programs at schools like NCC. Others have
gone straight to work.
It’s a Start
Shane applauds the effort. “That kind of real-world exposure makes a huge difference,” he says. “Kids need to see that the trades are valuable. That it’s not a fallback, it’s a future.”
He’s also hopeful that increased awareness—and efforts like CFE’s—will inspire more industry professionals to consider part-time teaching, mentoring or program support roles, helping to bridge the instruction gap.
“Communities have to invest in their own pipeline,” Shane says. “The demand isn’t going away. If we want barns, houses and ag buildings to keep going up, we need to invest in the people who build them.”
For CFE, that investment has already begun—one student, one hammer, one project at a time, because you can’t build barns, homes or livestock buildings without boots on the ground. While interest rates and materials may grab the headlines, it’s skilled labor that keeps progress rolling. If you have a student in your life who’s good with tools, pays attention to detail and wants to make real money without heading off to a big city, talk to them about a future in the trades, and what CFE can offer.
In the meantime, CFE’s lumberyards are ready to help with what isn’t holding things up—quotes, materials, delivery and service. We’re stocked. We’re steady. And we’re working every day to ensure the next generation of builders is ready to go when their time comes. Because building doesn’t stop out here, and neither do we. <<
