NCCCO Foundation Recruitment Research

The NCCCO Foundation is excited to share new research examining where individuals pursuing a career in crane operation lose momentum and what practical actions could strengthen recruitment, preparation, certification progress, and entry into the industry.

The NCCCO Foundation is hosting a webinar on November 12, 2026, to discuss the research findings.

The report developed in partnership with SkillEdge Research and Consulting and Hofstra University is available as a free resource to private companies, unions, training providers, HR professionals, and everyone involved in the recruitment and career development of quality employees into the crane operator profession. 

“The study shows that interest in crane careers is strong, but that most candidates typically stall between training and certification”, said T.J. Cantwell, NCCCO Foundation Executive Director.

“The report identifies previously unknown barriers to entry into the crane profession and several recommendations for addressing the issues that the Foundation and others can use in our workforce development activities,” Cantwell added.

The report was developed in partnership with SkillEdge Research and Consulting and Hofstra University.

Key recommendations to address barriers and improve the workforce pipeline: 

• Strengthen preparation and transfer of training 
• Support candidates through transition 
• Make the career pathway visible 
• Recruit with a route, not just an image

The NCCCO Foundation is hosting a webinar on November 12, 2026, to discuss the research findings and recommendations. Anyone interested in attending can register free for the webinar at https://bit.ly/barriers_research_webinar. 

Examining Barriers to Entry in the Crane Operator Profession and other workforce research reports are available to download at https://www.ncccofoundation.org/research/workforce/.