Labor in all areas of the green industry will continue to be a problem in 2008 as the H-2B issue falters through Congress.
Chris Peppers, maintenance manager for Frontier Landscaping, Vancouver, Wash., says his company applied to the program this year as a proactive approach to the looming labor shortage, and they’re currently assessing whether they’ll have enough employees to adequately serve their customers next year if the legislation fails to pass. In fact, 27 percent of lawn care operators say lack of qualified technicians is the biggest challenge they will face in 2008, according to 2007 Lawn & Landscape research.
“Whether or not the government solves the immigration problem, there are a lot of good people living under the radar trying to provide for their families while providing a good service to America,” he says.
To help offset this problem, Peppers’ company is working with middle schools and high schools to encourage young students to take an interest in trades like landscaping. “From sixth grade on, kids are encouraged to go to college, and that’s great,” Peppers says. “But many trades are going to have very few qualified employees in the coming years, and H-2B is a viable solution to this problem.”
When the pickings are slim, training existing employees is critical to maintain a qualified staff, Peppers says. All of Frontier Landscaping’s technicians are certified through Washington State University, and are also trained in house and through suppliers and manufacturers in both English and Spanish.
“You just can’t educate your employees enough,” he says.
According to the Lawn & Landscape research, 5 percent of LCOs say their biggest challenge will be a lack of time to properly train their existing technicians.