Kitchen & Bath Business January/February 2023 - 28

INDUS TR Y
OUTL OOK
" As students are
graduating with high
debt and no real
marketable skills, the
idea of a career in
the trades is starting
to resonate. The
perception of skilled
labor is changing, as
people realize they
can also make a good
income. "
- BRADY, HBI
to train people and invest in the workforce. We
do not have the labor we need to keep up with
the demand for housing in the U.S. Dietz estimates
we need to add 740,000 new hires on
a gross basis to maintain the current level of
workers and account for new growth given a
pending wave of retirements.
" As students are graduating with high debt and
no real marketable skills, the idea of a career in
the trades is starting to resonate, " said Brady, who
explained that a lot of jobs in the next 10 years
will not require a degree, rather a credential. " Th e
perception of skilled labor is changing, as people
realize they can also make a good income. "
To bring this message home, NARI recently
launched its NARI Hires program, where anyone
can apply to work with a member company
or contractor within the organization. NARI's
local chapters across the country also partner
with high schools to educate students that there
is dignity and respect associated with a career in
the skilled trades.
HBI's Job Corps program targets at-risk youth,
and Second Chance works with the corrections
and juvenile justice system to help those individuals
fi nd jobs and give them an option other than
a degree or a minimum wage. Brady says HBI has
partnered with more than 300 schools at the introductory
level to keep this front and center and
plant the seed. It has also worked with the Boys
and Girls Club, 100 Black Men of America and
Women in Construction to diversify the workforce,
as only 10% of it is made up of women. HBI
has opened three academies and will have seven
by the end of 2023 in major cities. Th ese are facilities
where HBI provides on-the-job training for
all these populations under one roof in 12 weeks.
Brady said it would be helpful for the industry
to establish micro-credentials for such specialty
skills as cabinet installation or trim work. HBI is
working with more than 10 specialty associations
to determine the best way to invest in credentialing
and developing curriculum with standards.
HBI also works with various suppliers that have
invested in its academies and trades programs.
Th ose suppliers donate in-kind material on which
to train and support future installers and technicians
and in turn receive brand recognition.
As for 2023 as a whole? According to Dietz, at
the end of this year, infl ation will have decreased
through a recession or a soft landing engineered
by the Federal Reserve. He says a recession is the
more likely outcome, but one way or another, the
monetary policy will ease by the end of 2023, and
we will see a macroeconomic rebound in 2024 led
by the housing sector.

DESIGN TRENDS
" People will spend more on
items like steam showers,
towel warmers and heated
floors to create a more luxury
hotel feel in the bathroom.
Brands have gone a long way
in providing those upscale
product offerings. "
EGNER, NARI
" Homeowners want to
open the look and feel of
the kitchen while adding
elements that hide clutter,
like pantries with food
storage, small appliance
work areas and coffee
stations. "
DARCY, NKBA
28
" It has been all about
the open concept, and
now there will be more
compartmentalization and
transitions from one space
to another. Customization
will be part of our world,
and suppliers will offer
more choices. "
WYRE, ASID
/ JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023
Kitchen & Bath Business January/February 2023

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