Towson Growth Summit Panel Explores the Keys to Closing the Skilled Trades Gap

Last Wednesday, local business leaders, workforce development professionals and members of the community gathered at the Athenaeum at Goucher College for the Towson Growth Summit: Skilled Trades Edition, hosted by the Towson Torch and sponsored by Stanley Black & Decker and Whiting-Turner.

Following an opening reception that brought together people and organizations invested in the future of our local workforce, the evening shifted to a panel discussion exploring one of the region’s most pressing economic challenges: how to attract, train and retain the next generation of skilled workers.

What is the Skilled Trades Gap?

The U.S. construction industry alone needs to attract an estimated 349,000 additional workers in 2026 to meet demand.

Towson based Stanley Black & Decker recently described the U.S. as facing a widening skilled-trades gap and cited the need for nearly half a million new construction workers by 2027

The future of the skilled trades isn’t simply about filling open jobs. It’s about changing how Americans think about the people who build, maintain and power their communities.

That was one of the central messages to emerge from the Towson Growth Summit: Skilled Trades, which brought together leaders from construction, manufacturing, workforce development and education for a wide-ranging conversation about Maryland’s workforce.

Moderated by Tracy Tyler of the Baltimore County Department of Economic and Workforce Development, the discussion featured Mick Rayburn of Whiting-Turner, Rob Newman of Stanley Black & Decker/DEWALT, Jennifer Dewees of MCCEI, and Matthew Van Hoose of Goucher College.

While much of the national conversation about skilled trades focuses on the worker shortage, the Towson panel repeatedly returned to a deeper issue: attracting workers is only part of the challenge. Employers also need to create an industry people want to join and stay in.

Sometimes that transformation begins with surprisingly simple things.

Rayburn discussed changes taking place on construction sites designed to improve workers' everyday experience, from better trailers and gathering spaces to misting stations during hot weather and significantly improved restroom facilities.

The individual improvements may seem small, he said, but collectively they can change what it feels like to come to work every day.

That led to a broader discussion about professionalism.

Construction sites have historically not always offered workers the same workplace experience expected in traditional offices. The industry is changing, however, with leading contractors increasingly recognizing that attracting and retaining talent requires treating tradespeople like the professionals they are.

The panel also acknowledged the challenge facing smaller contractors, which make up a significant portion of the construction industry. Unlike large companies, smaller businesses may not have dedicated human resources departments or the resources necessary to independently develop sophisticated workforce programs.

That makes leadership from larger contractors and industry organizations especially important.

The goal, the panel suggested, is to establish a culture across the industry where professional standards become the expectation rather than the exception.

But improving workplaces won't solve the workforce shortage if young people don't see the trades as attractive careers in the first place.

Newman summarized the challenge with a familiar phrase, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

“Companies and workforce organizations can develop recruitment programs, scholarships and training initiatives, but decades of cultural assumptions about skilled trades won't disappear overnight.”

One potential change is the language used to describe the workforce itself.

Newman noted that some industries are increasingly referring to tradespeople as "professional craft workers," emphasizing the training, education and expertise required to perform these jobs.

The terminology matters because these are not fallback careers.

They are professions.

Changing that perception could be particularly important for parents and students who have spent decades hearing that a four-year college degree is the primary pathway to success.

Perhaps nowhere is the cultural challenge more apparent than in attracting women.

Dewees noted that women have made significant gains throughout construction, particularly when professional and administrative positions are included, but remain substantially underrepresented in the skilled trades themselves.

Changing that requires exposure beginning much earlier.

Dewees pointed out that young girls often believe they can pursue almost any career, but cultural expectations gradually begin narrowing those possibilities.

The solution, panelists agreed, includes giving girls opportunities to use tools, build things and experience skilled trades before stereotypes about those careers become firmly established.

Equally important is visibility.

Women considering construction careers need to see other women working on job sites, managing projects and occupying leadership positions.

Rayburn argued that expanding the skilled-trades workforce will be extremely difficult if employers are effectively recruiting from only part of the population.

Women need to be able to see a complete career pathway — from working with tools in the field to managing projects, supervising teams and eventually reaching senior leadership.

Dewees added that employers must also intentionally examine their own workplace cultures and unconscious biases to ensure women aren't being overlooked for opportunities or treated differently in meetings and leadership environments.

Progress is happening.

Dewees pointed to the growth of events such as the Maryland Tradeswomen Summit, while Newman highlighted Tradeswomen Build Nations, a national gathering attracting thousands of women working in the trades.

Seeing women succeeding in these careers creates a powerful recruiting tool of its own.

Another theme ran throughout the discussion: no single company, school or government agency can solve the workforce shortage alone.

Dewees emphasized the importance of partnerships connecting employers with Baltimore County Public Schools career and technical education programs.

Those partnerships can provide students with work-based learning opportunities while also allowing employers to help schools understand exactly what skills companies need.

She encouraged businesses to become involved with local and program advisory councils connected to CTE programs.

Instead of employers waiting for schools to produce qualified workers, businesses can participate directly in shaping the programs preparing those workers.

That creates a much tighter connection between education and employment.

One of the most tangible examples of that collaboration is happening right here in Towson.

Van Hoose discussed the role institutions such as Goucher College can play as community "anchor institutions."

Goucher's nearly 300-acre campus gives the college resources that can contribute to the surrounding economy in ways extending well beyond traditional academics.

One example is Whiting-Turner's planned headquarters on Goucher's campus, bringing one of the nation's major construction companies into even closer proximity with the college and Towson community.

But the relationship goes beyond real estate.

Van Hoose said Goucher and Whiting-Turner are also working together on a new approach to construction management education.

The interdisciplinary program is expected to draw from business, engineering and specialized construction-management coursework while incorporating direct industry involvement.

The physical proximity creates an intriguing possibility: Whiting-Turner professionals could literally walk from their workplace to Goucher classrooms to share real-world expertise with students.

That model represents something larger than a single academic program.

It demonstrates what can happen when education and industry stop operating in separate worlds.

Students receive education aligned with actual workforce needs. Employers gain access to potential talent. Colleges become more closely connected to the economic needs of their communities.

And Towson benefits from all three.

The skilled-trades shortage won't be solved by a single recruitment campaign.

The conversation at the Towson Growth Summit suggested something much more comprehensive is required.

It means improving the everyday experience of workers.

It means treating skilled tradespeople as professionals.

It means showing young people that construction and manufacturing can provide meaningful, sophisticated careers.

It means bringing more women into the workforce and ensuring they can see pathways to leadership.

It means giving students exposure to these careers earlier.

And perhaps most importantly, it means employers, schools, colleges and government working together rather than attempting to solve the problem independently.

For Towson and Baltimore County, the opportunity is significant.

Major employers such as Whiting-Turner and Stanley Black & Decker, institutions such as Goucher College, organizations such as MCCEI, Baltimore County workforce leaders and local schools are already pieces of the same workforce ecosystem.

The challenge now is connecting those pieces.

Because the skilled-trades conversation isn't simply about where Maryland finds its next generation of workers.

About the Towson Growth Summit:

The Towson Growth Summit brings together local business leaders, community partners, and industry experts to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping Towson and the greater Baltimore region. Each edition focuses on a critical issue, from healthcare and workforce development to the skilled trades, and connects the people who can help create meaningful solutions. Hosted by the Towson Torch, the Summit is designed to turn conversation into collaboration, investment, and action.

Skilled Trades Partner Profiles:

Stanley Black & Decker / DEWALT
Towson-based Stanley Black & Decker is one of the world’s largest tool and outdoor-products companies and has made addressing the skilled-trades shortage a major priority. Through DEWALT’s Grow the Trades initiative, the company has committed $60 million by 2030 to skilled-trades education and training, with nearly $27 million invested since 2023 through grants, scholarships, tools and workforce programs.

Whiting-Turner
Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner is one of the nation’s leading construction management and general contracting companies. Its investment in the future of the trades includes workforce development, safety and industry training, while its new 150,000-square-foot corporate headquarters on Goucher’s campus is expected to become a hub for training, community engagement and introducing young people to careers in construction and design.

Goucher College
Goucher College is a Towson-based liberal arts institution increasingly connecting higher education with the workforce needs of the surrounding community. Its growing partnership with Whiting-Turner will create new experiential learning and internship opportunities, while the college is also developing an interdisciplinary construction-management program designed to connect students directly with industry expertise and career pathways.

Maryland Center for Construction Education & Innovation (MCCEI)
MCCEI was founded in 2009 by construction-industry leaders and state government partners specifically to strengthen Maryland’s construction workforce pipeline. The organization connects students, educators and employers through initiatives including Build Your Path, Maryland Construction Career Day and the Maryland Apprenticeship Connector, helping expose more young people and diverse populations to careers throughout the built environment.