According to the Associated General Contractors of South Dakota, a commercial construction industry trade group, there are currently 24,000 construction jobs in South Dakota. Those jobs provide an average salary of $45,247 per year, and the current median age of a construction tradesman in South Dakota is 41.

“That last statistic is alarming,” according to Lucas Fiegen, AIA, Vice President of Fiegen Construction. “We already know we have an industry-wide labor shortage, but our current workers are aging out faster than new workers entering the industry.”

Lucas is a third-generation construction professional. An Architect who grew up in Sioux Falls, he has worked in the industry for more than a decade—working, among others, with his father, Jeff, and uncle, Rusty. “I serve on several boards and committees throughout our region and I am seeing all of these organizations naming workforce development a top priority for Sioux Falls and South Dakota,” notes Lucas.