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pool, then that becomes a much higher priority for us as a company." Mosby, who employs more than 100 people, discussed potential solutions until November 2015, when company president Mark McClanahan suggested they undertake an initiative to encourage a career in the trades. In early 2016, Mosby Building Arts formally launched Tradeswork, which offers people an opportunity to participate in an intensive year-long, on-the-job training program. "e conclusion we came to is that nobody's going to do this for us," says Mosby, who surveyed local trade schools and high schools before embarking on his own venture. "With budgets, taxes, politics and all, the federal government just isn't local enough to be able to affect a real change." TAKING ACTION Mosby geared Tradeswork toward young people between the ages of 18 and 25 because he wants to develop candi- dates who have a passion for construction. e program received 20 applications in its first year, and the company selected two apprentices to work alongside its contractors in the field. e trainees earn the state's minimum wage during the program but, upon completion, they secure a $1,000 award and the chance to be hired for a full-time position at Mosby Building Arts. "It's a merit-based industry—if you're good, you ad- vance. Your pay increases according to your skills," says Mosby, who praised the attitude and ethic of the two current participants. "ey've got to get enough respect that the skilled, experienced craftsmen around them in- vest in them and teach them." e company will begin accepting applications for the second round of the Tradeswork program on Jan. 1, 2017, and candidate interviews will commence in February. cott Mosby first recognized a labor short- age in 2006, as spending for residential remodeling and repair climbed toward its peak of nearly $285 billion before the Great Recession. About 2 million workers left residential construction in wake of the downturn, which has restrained the ability to grow his business with the industry expected to top $300 billion in spending for 2016. "Our company is limited by our people," says Mosby, president of Mosby Building Arts, a full-service remod- eler in St. Louis, Missouri. "If there's a shrinking labor Developing a New Workforce Remodelers need to reconsider traditional sources of skilled workers and embrace local initiatives to solve labor shortages. By Kyle Clapham S Daniel Carpenter (left) and Manuel Perez (right) will complete their apprenticeships in the first year of Mosby Building Arts' Tradeswork training program in April 2017. Photo: Mosby Building Arts SPECIAL REPORT: Labor Shortage 40 January 2017 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com