Skip to content

A bipartisan effort to address the construction industry’s workforce challenges may be gaining a new path forward through a proposal that would connect workforce training with a construction-sector-specific immigration program. Supporters are exploring whether the CONSTRUCTS Act, currently pending in both the House and Senate, could be paired with a new visa framework that addresses employers’ immediate labor needs while generating dedicated funding to train the next generation of American construction workers.

The proposal is intended to address two challenges facing the residential construction industry: the need to expand the domestic pipeline of skilled workers and the difficulty employers face finding sufficient workers to meet current demand. By linking the two issues, industry advocates hope to build a broader legislative approach that can attract support from lawmakers concerned about workforce shortages, housing affordability, and the cost of establishing new federal programs.

The CONSTRUCTS Act, formally known as the Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural or Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools Act, was introduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 1055 by Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), along with Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), and Donald Davis (D-NC). Its Senate companion, S. 189, was introduced by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as an original cosponsor. 

The legislation would establish a competitive grant program through the Department of Labor to help junior and community colleges and area career and technical education schools create or expand education and training programs for residential construction careers. Eligible training areas include carpentry, framing, masonry, welding, plumbing, electrical work, construction management, architecture, heating and air conditioning, land surveying, construction mathematics, and heavy equipment operation.

The legislation also encourages partnerships between educational institutions and local residential construction businesses, apprenticeship programs, workforce development organizations, and community partners. Priority would be given to programs serving rural areas and underserved populations. The objective is to connect classroom instruction and hands-on training with the skills and employment opportunities that construction businesses need. 

The proposal builds on an effort first introduced in 2024. Although the legislation generated interest and bipartisan support, advancing it has been challenging, particularly because of concerns about identifying a funding source for a new federal grant program.