Beyond Local: How a Trade Association Is Finding Partners to Expand Critical Workforce Skills in Multiple States
The Flood Mitigation Industry Association (FMIA) is addressing the urgent shortage of workers skilled in elevating buildings above flood levels and sealing buildings that cannot be elevated by creating training programs for entry-level jobs in good-paying careers.
Elevating residential and non-residential structures above high flood levels, and “dry floodproofing” (i.e., sealing and protecting) structures that cannot be elevated are effective ways to minimize flood damage and maintain the value of these assets. On average, one dollar spent on these measures saves six dollars in disaster recovery costs, while preserving community life and economic vitality.
The knowledge and skills required to elevate and dry floodproof structures is primarily held by small business contractors who train each new employee through on-the-job mentorship. While effective, this approach to training is inefficient for contractors and insufficient to protect a growing number of communities from increasingly severe storms and sea level rise. FMIA began a workforce development initiative in 2024 to scale-up skills training for good paying, career-oriented entry-level jobs in the flood mitigation industry.
Image
Image caption and credit here
In Coastal Louisiana, where the highest concentration of experience resides, FMIA is working with SOWELA Technical Community College to create training and educational curricula in structural elevation and dry floodproofing that will be taught by industry professionals. Over time, FMIA plans to increase capacity by implementing a train-the-trainers model so that community college faculty, labor unions in other states, and independent trainers can expand the training pipeline. FMIA is working with FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to deploy this pilot training program in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, where federal investments will support structural elevation in historically underemployed and under-resourced communities. FMIA is collaborating with KEI Marketing, an established and trusted human resources organization to support recruiting and provide wraparound services for trainees in these underserved communities.
Through this collaboration, FMIA will train entry-level workers in Louisiana for $48,000–$60,000 jobs in career pathways. Initially, job opportunities will be supported by federally funded projects, yet the demand for front-line flood mitigation services is so extensive that FMIA hopes to foster multi-generational participation in what is fast becoming a critical industry. FMIA is also working in other regions, including Long Island, NY and Norfolk, VA to develop similar training activities. The delivery channels for worker training are likely to vary regionally. In New York, for example, where the skilled trades are unionized, labor union apprenticeship programs might replace or augment community college offerings. FMIA’s goal is to create training programs that can be adopted throughout the country and around the world to help coastal and riverbank communities adapt to the growing risk of flooding.
Why Did They Do It?
Storm surge, intense precipitation, and flooding events are recurring risks in a growing number of shoreline areas, especially in locations where seismic subsidence is also taking place. Portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast and East Coast, as well as riverine areas are particularly vulnerable to recurring flood disasters. Banks have told the industry that in 20 years’ time, older high-flood-risk buildings that have not been elevated or dry floodproofed could devalue by as much as 40%.
Structures are backbone assets to families, businesses, and communities, so the consequences of substantial devaluation would be far reaching. By securing structures against flood damage, communities can recover from extreme events with minimal damage while maintaining the tax base and economic vitality needed to adapt community assets and infrastructure, implement nature-based solutions, and plan for longer-term resilience.
Image
Image caption and credit here
The USACE has told the flood mitigation industry to be ready to elevate or dry floodproof 250,000 structures by 2035. The ratio of residential to non-residential structures in this projection is 3:1. At the time of this writing, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has more than a dozen flood mitigation mega projects at various stages of planning and implementation. Among them, three projects in Louisiana, another in Virginia, and one in New York have received funding that is sufficient to elevate roughly 6,000 structures.
Were They Successful?
Image
A damaged house with debris and an American flag, a sign reads "Rebuild Prattsvile."
FMIA plans to initiate entry level training for structural elevation and dry floodproofing jobs in the fall of 2025. Initial training cohorts will be relatively small—ten to twelve students—to foster hands-on mentorship by industry professionals and pre-qualify job candidates. Lifting structures is physically demanding work that also requires a safety-oriented mentality. By working with small numbers of students, both employers and trainees will be able to determine who is well suited to careers in this field.
What Did It Cost and How Did They Fund It?
FMIA received a $7 million Climate Ready Workforce grant from NOAA to develop the Louisiana pilot project. Once established, FMIA believes the training curriculum will be supported by employers and the community college system. Meanwhile, FMIA is also building relationships in Long Island and elsewhere to identify pathways for sharing the Louisiana curriculum in other locations. Elevating important assets and structures requires an upfront investment. In Louisiana, the cost to elevate a structure is roughly $120 per square foot. In Long Island, the cost is closer to $200 per square foot. The jobs created through this grant will be funded by USACE projects that will elevate structures in the same underserved Louisiana communities from which the trainees are recruited.
The longer-term job market for flood mitigation skills is likely to rely on multiple funding streams. In neighboring Mandeville, Louisiana, for example, 700+ structures along a 60-block waterfront have already been elevated. In this community, 80% of the work was funded by property owners. FMIA forecasts that the demand for a trained workforce in flood mitigation will continue to grow as lenders, insurers, property owners, and governments continue to develop a variety of financing mechanisms.
