Who Will Wire the House

Every year, tens of thousands of electricians, plumbers, welders, linemen and diesel mechanics reach retirement age, and there are not enough young workers coming up behind them. Who Will Wire the House follows that quiet shortage from the shop classes schools closed to the data centers now pulling in crews, and shows what breaks when the people who build and repair America's homes, grids and highways age out. You will meet the apprentices, contractors and union halls trying to refill the ranks, and see why a plumber can take three weeks to arrive, why licenses stop at the state line, and what Switzerland does differently. Built on real numbers and real places, this is a clear, balanced look at one of the least discussed labor problems in the country. If you hire tradespeople, work in the trades, teach, set policy, or just wonder who will fix things in ten years, this book explains what is coming and what actually works.