Valuable Experience

Despite the great advancements made since the recession first began, joblessness is still a key issue in our economy today. With an unemployment rate resting just above 8%, it’s clear to everyone that we’re not out of this yet. A recent article published on CNBC and other major news sites examined the variety of opinions surrounding unemployment; what it really looks like and where it’s going.

Focusing mostly on long-term unemployment, the story points to a number of possible causes of this particularly damaging kind of unemployment. The use of automated machines and the growing skills gap in manufacturing were both mentioned as contributing factors. 

Another possible cause mentioned was that employers are tending to hire younger workers with advanced education over experience professionals who have been out of work for some time. One of the many positive developments that came out of the recession was a renewed interest in our intern program. Gray has long believed in developing young talent by giving them direct access to their field of interest and we have seen enormous benefits from this program over the years; our senior project manager on the Siemens Energy, Inc. project touted by President Obama in his State of the Union address was a product of this system.  

While it’s hard for me to say enough about the benefits we’ve received from this program, it would be impossible not to mention the benefits we’ve received from finding talented individuals that have already achieved success in their own fields. Individuals such as Ron Vokoun, Director of Mission Critical, whose industry experience includes projects as far away as Tokyo, Japan, and Alex DeMartini, our newest Business Development Manager, were hired on with a length of industry experience. A person’s project experience can tell us volumes about their skills and abilities that nothing else really can.

One benefit Gray has been able to take advantage of as we come out of this recession is a vast pool of highly skilled, experience construction professionals. From engineers to project managers, we have been very fortunate to find and retain some of the best talent in our field. Without these individuals and their depth of experience, our company would not be enjoying the success we’ve celebrated over the past several months.