Bridging the Construction Skills Gap: Colibri Group Advances Contractor Education

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

18 Jun 2025

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“With fewer new homes being built due to economic headwinds, the market for existing homes becomes increasingly important,” explains Patrick Hayes, General Manager at Colibri Group. This reality underscores the critical importance of skilled contractors in today’s real estate ecosystem.

In an industry facing severe labor shortages and technological disruption, Colibri Group is addressing the construction skills gap through targeted education programs that could reshape how the real estate industry approaches contractor relationships.

The Construction Skills Gap: A Growing Challenge

The construction industry faces a significant skills shortage that threatens to undermine real estate development nationwide. Through brands like Contractor Training Center and Gold Coast Schools, Colibri Group has positioned itself at the forefront of addressing this challenge.

“We found it particularly interesting that business owners and employees often have different perspectives on where skills deficiencies exist,” Hayes explains. “Part of our work involves helping field workers recognize the skills they need to develop, while supporting business owners in nurturing that growth.”

This disconnect creates a unique challenge in the industry. While contractors may focus on technical skills, their employees might struggle with communication, sales negotiation, or contract drafting
and soft skills that significantly impact business success but are rarely addressed in traditional trade education.

Beyond Technical Training: The Soft Skills Revolution

Hayes highlights a surprising finding from their research: “Communication really stood out as noteworthy. Most people don’t want to acknowledge deficiencies in their communication abilities. The challenge becomes how to deliver that feedback constructively and motivate someone to develop that skill.”

This challenge is compounded by the industry’s traditional training approach. “Much of the training happens on the job,”Hayes explains. “Typically, individuals come out of high school, sometimes attend trade school, but often they start in construction as a summer job and learn primarily through field experience.”

While this apprenticeship model has served the industry for generations, it often leaves significant gaps in professional development, particularly around soft skills, business management, and client relations in areas that determine long-term success.

The Technology Adoption Challenge

“Technology tops the list,”Hayes says when asked about the most important skills for contractors to cultivate. “Professionals who are comfortable exploring and adapting to new technologies have an advantage.”

Hayes speaks from experience, having previously run a roofing business where technology transformed their operations: “When we transitioned from putting workers on roofs for estimates to using satellite imagery and drones, the process became safer, faster, and more cost-effective for customers.”

“This industry doesn’t typically keep pace with technology,”Hayes observes. “While some project management tools and CRMs are being adopted, technologies like AI offer tremendous potential that the construction field hasn’t yet begun to leverage.”

The Labor Crisis: Causes and Solutions

When asked if there’s a construction labor crisis, Hayes is unequivocal: “Yes.”

“A major factor was the push toward affordable higher education degrees over the past 20-30 years, particularly emphasizing liberal arts, which led many to overlook the trades,” Hayes explains. “The result is almost a generational gap, with a shortage of individuals interested in these fields.”

The shortage is tangible and immediate. “I recently called my uncle, a general contractor in New Hampshire, asking for help with a project at my house. He told me he’s booked eight weeks out, and that’s on a good day.”

However, Hayes sees promising signs of change: “We’re beginning to see renewed interest in the trades among younger demographics. Young people are recognizing that traditional higher education is becoming more expensive and potentially less valuable relative to its cost.”

This shift reflects changing economic realities. “I have cousins in Massachusetts who could have attended many colleges of their choice, but they selected trades because they recognized the career path and opportunity. It’s a much faster route and they understand what their income will be after a certain number of years.”

Colibri Group’s Three-Pronged Educational Approach

To address these complex challenges, Colibri Group has developed a comprehensive educational framework:

1. Exam Preparation
“This helps individuals prepare for licensing exams in specific fields,”Hayes explains. “We guide them through code books and materials they need to navigate during their exam, along with the necessary skills and mathematical concepts.”

2. Continuing Education
“These are the educational hours required to maintain licenses,” says Hayes. “Requirements vary by state and they may be annual or biannual, with varying hour requirements.”

3. Industry Training and Professional Development
“Beyond our historical focus on exam prep and continuing education, we’re exploring opportunities to support contractors’ further growth,” Hayes notes. This newer focus area includes their Business Accelerator program, which helps contractors develop leadership skills and business acumen.

“We recently launched Construction Project Management, which is essential for both business owners and field workers who need to better manage their supply chain,”Hayes adds. “We’re also developing leadership courses to help professionals attract and retain talent.”

Economic Implications for Real Estate

The construction skills gap directly impacts the broader real estate market, particularly in the current economic climate.

“Economic headwinds have affected this market for some time,”Hayes observes. “Dating back to COVID, we saw significant supply chain issues and shortages that made building new properties economically unfeasible and similar challenges are reemerging, especially with new tariffs.”

These challenges create ripple effects throughout the real estate ecosystem: “With fewer new homes being built, the existing home market becomes increasingly important, making it more difficult for buyers to find suitable properties.”

Looking Ahead: Expansion and Innovation

Colibri Group is actively expanding both geographically and in terms of educational offerings. “We’re excited about Contractor Training Center’s expansion into California,”Hayes shares. “We started in Virginia as a smaller company, but now we’re reaching across the United States.”

With his background in both construction and education, Hayes brings a unique perspective to this work. “I’ve personally helped grow, develop, and sell a construction business to a national provider. I’ve worked in construction since I was 12 years old through college, before transitioning to the education sector.”

This combination of practical experience and educational expertise positions Colibri Group to address the construction skills gap in ways that benefit contractors, property developers, and ultimately the entire real estate ecosystem.

“Tremendous opportunity exists in this field,”Hayes concludes. “Our challenge is determining where to focus our efforts, and our skills gap research has helped us identify key areas for concentration.”

For real estate professionals navigating a challenging market, understanding these construction industry dynamics and the educational initiatives addressing them would prove essential to successful project planning and execution in the years ahead.