If you've tried to hire a local contractor to do a project at your home you likely finding that most people are booked through the year or that building materials are still scarce.

Building trades unions are looking for workers ready to be trained.
To get started all you need to do is contact some of these unions.

Whether it's small home construction contracts or huge projects like the new battery plant, skilled trades jobs are looking for a new generation of workers.

"There's a lot of demand for every craft whether it's piping or electrical work. The carpenters, the laborers and a couple other crafts take apprentices year round. It's what we call an intent to hire probationary period in which they work with a contractor and get some of the experience," said Antiono DiTommaso Jr. of Western Reserve Building Trades.

Trade unions say there is a huge volume of work here in the valley.  So much so, people wanting to do projects in their home might see a long wait for it to get done.
The Better Business Bureau has some tips on how to choose the right contractor for the job.

They say to call them or check their website to check on the reputations of individual contractors.

"We can tell you if they've had a lengthy complaint history or what we really like is if there is no complaint history. We can tell you if they've had a problem how they resolved issues or if they have not," said Melissa Ames, Youngstown BBB.

The BBB says expect a long wait right now to have any project started due to employment and material issues.
And if you do hire someone, get a contract ironing out start dates and end dates and never pay more than a third of the cost of the total project up front.

If you are interested in a career in the trades you can attend a career fair as part of Mahoning Valley Trades Day on September 22nd and 23rd at the Canifeld Fairgrounds.