MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Upper Peninsula Home Builders Association held its eighth annual wild game dinner Thursday night at the Northern Center in Marquette.
More than 350 adventurous diners gathered to raise money for the HBA Skilled Trade Scholarship Fund and Workforce Development Initiative on the menu were braised wild boar, goat stew, and bison tips, along with a wide variety of side dishes. In addition to the exotic cuisine, there were various raffles with prizes ranging from guns to baby clothes. There was something for everyone at this raffle. HBA official Sarah Foster says this event provides critical funding for their scholarship programs in a field that desperately needs more workers.
“There is such a need. There’s a shortage. It’s almost a crisis. I mean, the people who are highly skilled in carpentry right now, they’re already working,” said Foster.
An important goal of the HBA is the training and recruiting of construction workers. The head of the Michigan HBA, Aaron Hovistadt, says there is a crucial need for professional home builders.
“There is so much opportunity to earn while you learn, and you can go to work right now for somebody earn a good living, a good wage, and then if you want to take that to another level, create start your own business, there’s no better way to do that,” remarked Hovistadt.
According to Carl Harris, the national chairman of HBA, the worker shortage extends well beyond the up. it is a major factor in the lack of affordable housing nationwide.
“We need to get those houses built. It’s not a demand side. It is truly a supply side,” warned Harris.
The lack of affordable housing, ironically, is a real impediment in attracting construction workers to build the homes to ease the housing shortage.
“Then the problem becomes they can’t find housing. So then housing goes right into that if we want to bring more workers, we have to find housing. So we’re constantly fighting the battle against housing as well,” said Foster.
Organizers say this event usually sells out once the next dinner is announced.
