Associated General Contractors of America – Save the Associations Vol. 11 In the Summer of 2018, we explored what it means for an association to empower young professionals with the Associated General Contractors of Washington. We also spoke to their national counterpart – the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) – about what it means to empower association chapters. National Issues, Local Solutions “Like many industries, the construction industry is very much affected by a shortage of skilled workers,” shared Christi Beatty, Vice President of Chapter Support Services at AGC. “We are not expecting that to change anytime soon.” Starting over 20 years ago, AGC committed to attracting and retaining young talent through a variety of efforts. Their most successful initiative was empowering their chapters to be creative and take risks when designing events and programs for young professionals. “Our chapters are doing a lot of the meaningful groundwork for change,” said Beatty. “By creating events and networking opportunities that appeal to young professionals, our chapters have energized the younger generation, and they’re getting involved in the work of the chapters.” We saw how this empowerment led to the Washington chapter’s success in engaging young professionals on task forces, committees, and at annual events. Beatty shared examples of two other chapters that are thinking outside the box to recruit young talent. The Colorado Chapter of AGC received a government grant for technical education programs after they brought to light the reality of the workforce shortage. The Nevada Chapter of AGC is helping build a magnet school for middle school students interested in the trades. The chapter is helping with the physical building and providing support to the program.   Similarities Across Chapters While each chapter has its own programming and events, Beatty shared that many of the young professional programs across the country are focused on similar ideas. Networking – Young professionals want to network with each other and with senior members at the association. Soft Skills…