A massive shift is coming to the construction industry. More than 40% of the current workforce is expected to retire in the next decade—and right now, only 3% of young people are showing interest in learning a trade.
That’s a challenge for industries like homebuilding, where the need for skilled labor isn’t slowing down.
To help close that gap, Scottsdale-based homebuilder Taylor Morrison launched a hands-on internship program to give students a firsthand look at what it really means to build homes—and a future.
ABC15’s Kaley O’Kelley talked with Jason Deppert, a longtime construction superintendent and mentor at Taylor Morrison. He says there’s still a stigma around this kind of work.
“People think it doesn’t pay well. There’s a lot of stigma. And they’re wrong,” Deppert said.
The company’s new summer internship aims to change that mindset, one student at a time.
We also met Austin Evans, a senior at Arizona State University majoring in Environmental Design and Architecture. He’s one of just 10 students selected statewide for the internship. When he first started, he had no idea what to expect.
“Every day is different,” Evans said. “You could have a plan for the day, and then there’s just something that happens.”
But that’s part of the learning. Interns get the chance to see how projects come together, how teams work through problems, and what it means to hand over a finished home to a family.
“We walk through the house with the buyers,” Evans explained. “If they’ve picked certain options, we make sure those are being, you know, built correctly.”
The experience goes far beyond blueprints. Deppert told O’Kelley the goal isn’t just to teach technical skills, it’s about building people.
“I want to instill in them not just work quality, but life quality,” he said.
That includes how to communicate, how to lead, and how to earn respect on the job site.
Evans says he’s watching and learning.
“Seeing how Jason communicates with these trades, showing them respect, showing appreciation… that goes a long way,”
To learn more about the Taylor Morrison intership program, click here.
