Research Identifies Barriers to Crane Operator Careers

November 5, 2026 - The NCCCO Foundation has released research examining barriers that prevent individuals from entering the crane operator profession and identifying potential ways to improve recruitment, training, certification progress, and career development.

Developed in partnership with SkillEdge Research and Consulting and Hofstra University, the report, Examining Barriers to Entry in the Crane Operator Profession, examines where prospective operators lose momentum as they pursue careers in the industry. It is available as a free resource for private companies, unions, training providers, human resources professionals, and others involved in recruiting and developing crane operators.

“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."

The report identifies four areas for addressing barriers and strengthening the workforce pipeline: improving preparation and the transfer of training, supporting candidates through the transition to the profession, making career pathways more visible, and recruiting with a defined career route rather than relying solely on an image of the occupation.

The NCCCO Foundation will host a webinar on November 12, 2026, to discuss the research findings and recommendations. Registration is free and available at bit.ly/barriers_research_webinar.

The report and other workforce research are available at ncccofoundation.org/research/workforce.