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6 • ROCK products • May 2016 www.rockproducts.com I N D U S T RY N E W S IN THE KNOW Volvo kicked off its first in a series of educational workshops for technical students this month. Leveraging the 50th anniversary of the invention of the articulated hauler, Volvo Construction Equipment is touring North America in a golden hauler, making stops at dealer- ships along the way to connect students who have expressed an interest in the trades with the many opportunities available in the construction industry. On Wednesday, April 6, approximately 25 students from the automotive pro- gram at Broughton High School and the Diesel Tech program at Wilkes Commu- nity College visited ASC Construction Equipment USA LLC in Raleigh, N.C., to learn more about how they could be a solution to what has become a near-cri- sis skills gap in North America. The event is part of an ongoing part- nership between Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Volvo deal- erships, SkillsUSA and Skills Canada – organizations dedicated to improving the quality of North America's skilled workforce – to bring attention to the skills gap issue in the construction industry. Leveraging the 50th anniversary of its invention of the articulated hauler, Vol- vo is traveling throughout North Amer- ica with a golden-painted articulated hauler, stopping at dealerships and welcoming in local chapters of SkillsU- SA and Skills Canada students to learn more about what the construction industry has to offer. "By 2020, we expect there to be a 10 million-person shortage in our skilled workforce," said Peyton Holland, exec- utive director for SkillsUSA North Car- olina at the event. "That's what makes this partnership with Volvo Construc- tion Equipment so tremendous – stu- dents get to meet real people, learn about real careers, and hear real stories about how people developed their own career paths." Growing awareness about the issue and helping bridge the gap between stu- dents, training and professional oppor- tunities is an imperative for construc- tion equipment dealerships like ASC. According to an Associated Equipment Distributors report released this year, the economy is losing out on $2.4 billion every year as a result of dealers' inabili- ty to find and retain skilled workers. "These students have chosen to study a t rade, and I commend t hem for that," said James Crane, ASC regional branch manager. "The more they con- tinue to learn, the more opportunities will open up for them. The education they're pursuing now is setting the pace for the future." The event included a tour of the work- shop where students had the oppor- tunity to gain insight regarding the important role technicians play in keeping equipment up and running so that contractors can keep infrastruc- ture and new building jobsites moving. It also included a tour of the telemat- ics bay. Telematics is a newer area of the construction industry – offering remote monitoring of machines, pre- dictive maintenance, and more – giv- ing students who are moving into the trades an opportunity that didn't exist just 10 years ago. "The best part of this event was the one-on-one interaction we were able to have with the employees," John Mar- tin, a Broughton High School student said. "We were able to hear about their experiences first hand, on a more per- Leveraging the 50th anniversary of the invention of the articu- lated hauler, Volvo Con- struction Equipment is touring North America in a golden hauler. FAST FACT Volvo CE Addresses Skills Gap During 50th Anniversary Stop