Branka Minic has spent her career studying and working to solve chronic imbalances that affect industries across the economy. Whether in technology, manufacturing, or homebuilding, the equation is often the same: companies struggle to find skilled workers, while millions of people struggle to find well-paying, stable career paths.

In residential construction, that imbalance has persisted across, sorry to say, decades. Builders, developers, and trade contractors need frontline workers to frame homes, install HVAC systems, wire electrical systems, and apply the finishes that turn structures into livable spaces. Yet, for many potential workers, the path into those jobs remains unclear, fragmented, or altogether inaccessible.

Minic, CEO of Building Talent Foundation, is focused on shifting that imbalance from a persistent challenge into a solvable economic problem. For her, the missing piece has always been data — not just anecdotal evidence or intuitive conclusions, but hard economic analysis that quantifies the connection between an upskilled workforce and home affordability.

The relationship between well-trained skilled front-line tradespeople—particularly in the 23 trades we’ve focused on in this Blueprint report, that have the most impact on project costs, home quality, operational efficiency, and, ultimately, home affordability—is highly correlated,” Minic says. “We know it intuitively and see a lot of evidence. What we’re working towards is economic data that show a cause-and-effect relationship to make it clearer that these investments and commitments to upskilling our front-line team members are inarguably profit-generating and can bend home price cost curves toward more affordability.”

That goal—to establish data-driven proof that workforce investment is an economic imperative, not just an operational challenge—frames the findings of a new industry study set for release tomorrow.

Blueprint for Upskilling the Homebuilding Workforce, a joint effort from Building Talent Foundation and Leading Builders of America, may amount to an all-important first step in providing that data-driven foundation. The study outlines which skills are most needed, which job site technologies are reshaping workforce needs, and what builders can do to improve training and talent pipelines.

LBA member companies are committed to continuous improvement in the quality of homes we build and the investments in training our people,” Ken Gear, CEO of LBA said in a provided statement. “The Blueprint study provides an excellent roadmap for industry to align the skills of our workforce with technological innovation in building homes.”

For homebuilders, the message is straightforward: workforce development isn’t just a labor issue — it’s a bottom-line issue. Companies that fail to address the skilled labor gap will face higher costs, slower cycle times, and missed opportunities for technological and operational improvements that could make homebuilding more efficient and affordable.

What the Study Found

The Blueprint report identifies three key areas where action is needed to reduce the imbalance between homebuilding’s labor demands and the availability of skilled workers.

• High-value trade skills. The study pinpoints 23 essential technical skills that have the biggest impact on home quality, cost, and efficiency. Framing, HVAC installation, electrical work, waterproofing, and insulation rank at the top—errors in these areas can ripple through a project, leading to delays, rework, and higher costs.
• Emerging job site technologies. Builders are increasingly turning to digital construction tools, prefabrication, and automation to speed up projects and control costs. The study finds that more than 80 percent of builders now use digital tools for scheduling and trade coordination. Nearly half are incorporating panelized or factory-built components, and a growing number are deploying drones for site inspections. These innovations can make the homebuilding process faster and more precise—but only if the workforce is trained to use them effectively.
• Workforce development and training. The industry has struggled to attract and retain younger workers, and the study points to a lack of structured pathways into the trades. The report calls for stronger partnerships between builders and educators to align trade school and apprenticeship programs with real-world industry needs, employer-backed apprenticeships that provide structured learning and career progression, and standardized trade certifications that give workers a clear, portable credential, making it easier for employers to validate skills.

What This Means for Homebuilders

The industry has long recognized the labor shortage, but the Blueprint study makes the case that workforce development needs to be seen as a business investment—not a reactive hiring challenge. The study lays out several steps companies can take to align their labor needs with long-term growth strategies.

• Training must be continuous. One-and-done training doesn’t work in a field where skills evolve with new building materials and technologies. The study advocates for microburst training—short, frequent sessions that reinforce skills over time.
• Certifications need to be standardized. The absence of a widely recognized, employer-adopted certification system creates inefficiencies in hiring and skill verification. Builders often rely on manufacturer training programs, which can be too narrow in scope. A broader, industry-backed certification model would allow companies to better assess and deploy skilled workers.
• The talent pipeline must expand. Veterans, career changers, and underrepresented groups are an untapped source of skilled workers. The study highlights the need for more dual-credit high school programs, pre-apprenticeship initiatives, and employer-hosted training efforts.
• Technology training must be prioritized. Digital job site tools, prefabricated components, and automation are already being integrated into construction. But without proper training, the potential productivity gains will be lost.

What’s at Stake

For Minic, these workforce gaps aren’t just about operational efficiency—they directly impact affordability.

Improving workforce productivity, and the quality of homes built, will lower construction costs, making homes more affordable and homeownership more attainable to more people,” the report states.

This is the key argument she hopes to quantify with economic cause-and-effect data—that investment in training and workforce development is a direct path to controlling costs and expanding homeownership opportunities.

The study makes it clear that workforce strategy can’t be treated as an afterthought. The companies that take ownership of their talent pipelines—by investing in training, pushing for standardized certifications, and embracing new technology—will be best positioned to build efficiently, control costs, and meet market demand.

Those that don’t will find themselves at a growing disadvantage.

A Path Ahead

The Blueprint for Upskilling the Homebuilding Workforce is a first step in turning workforce investment into a measurable economic lever for homebuilders. The next step will be backing up those findings with data that make the business case undeniable.

Meanwhile, Building Talent Foundation will leverage its extensive network of partners, including employers, educators, community-based organizations, and workforce organizations, to disseminate the study through webinars, tailored presentations, and collaborative initiatives, ensuring the findings and recommendations are implemented across the homebuilding industry.

For builders, developers, and trade contractors, the takeaway is clear: proactive investment in workforce training is an investment in operational efficiency, profitability, and long-term affordability.

Ignoring the problem only makes it worse. But those who recognize skilled labor as a competitive advantage — rather than a cost — will lead the industry forward.