White House photo Michelle Obama launches White House-construction industry initiative for 100,000 military veteran hires in the next five years. Related Links: Joining Forces Construction Hiring Announcement Remarks of First Lady Michele Obama Remarks of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez White House Joining Forces Website The Obama administration and a coalition of construction groups and firms said on Feb. 10 that at least 100 industry firms have committed to hiring 100,000 U.S. military veterans over the next five years.The initiative, announced at a symposium in Washington, D.C., is being led by First Lady Michelle Obama, who said the number of firms
Related Links: Lee Introduces Bill to Expand Higher Education Opportunities Legislation being pushed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) would provide participants in construction apprenticeships and other alternative training programs new access to federal loan programs for post-secondary education.The Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act (HERO), introduced on Jan. 9, would allow states to accredit programs that offer degrees, credentials or professional certifications to provide access to federal student loans.Industry groups are optimistic the bill, if enacted, would expedite opportunities for students to choose industry careers.The bill, now in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, includes guidelines for
Related Links: Worldwide Workflow Is Growing As An Industry Project Norm ASTD Business Study Chart: The Global Workplace, Factors That Hinder Learning in Global Operations Design Firms Eke Out Profit Even as Global Markets Gyrate Chinese Contactors Grapple With Risks of Working Globally U.S. 'Zero Tolerance' Anti-Harassment Policies Need Global Tweaking Amer Soc for Training & Development: Global Workforce Challenges for Learning & Development Society for Human Resources Management: Global HR As engineering and construction firms have expanded their global footprints with new project sites and cross-border acquisitions, company "universities" are traveling along.The geographic reach has broadened firm expertise, and
Federal charges of jobsite racism against Skanska on a Memphis, Tenn. hospital project in 2009 recently reached a legal milestone. A federal appeals court last month allowed a complaint by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to move forward, making a trial over the charges likely.The complaint bypasses the direct employer, Memphis subcontractor C-1 Inc., and directs the allegations against Skanska USA Building, the principal contractor.The U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati last month reversed a Tennessee federal district court's ruling on the question of whether a general contractor could be held liable to its subcontractor's employees by contending that
Photo by AP Wideworld With a full pipeline of chemical projects on the drawing board, capital investment is likely to peak in 2016-17, say analysts. -- Related Links: Low-Cost LNG, Stricter Air Rules Mean Fewer New Coal-Fired Powerplants Fluor-JGC Venture Wins Big Canada LNG Project Hot Markets: U.S. LNG Terminals Shale-gas Project Boom Drives Solutions to Shortfalls in Craft, Tech and Management Jobs The strong economic drivers behind well over $100 billion of planned U.S. petrochemical plants and liquefied-natural-gas export terminals likely will overpower any challenges posed by shortages of skilled craftspeople or specialized equipment.That is the consensus of experts
photo by ap wideworld leaves of grass Legalized use of marijuana in states presents new safety and human-resource challenges for the construction industry. Related Links: Inspection of Marijuana Farms in California Moves Out of the Weeds Philadelphia Building Collapse Leads to Murder Charges High Times: Legalized Marijuana and Drug Testing for Contractors (Electrical Construction & Maintenance) Contractor employees in Colorado and Washington hoping to follow the old adage "Smoke 'em if you've got 'em" and fire up a now-legal joint should know that puts their jobs at risk, even if they do it away from work and on their own
Data courtesy of IIR Industrial spending will rise significantly in Ohio by 2017. Related Links: Shale-gas Project Boom Drives Solutions to Shortfalls Seen in Craft, Tech and Management Jobs Even as a Gulf Coast construction boom takes shape, one market observer foresees a regional shortage of skilled craft labor in the Great Lakes region and the Midwest when, in the next few years, several big industrial projects ramp up simultaneously.By 2016, labor demand in the region will rise to 26.8 million worker hours, from 21.9 million worker hours in 2013, says a report from Industrial Info Resources (IIR), a Sugar
Related Links: Data and tables for December 2012 from Labor Dept.'s Bureau of Labor Statistics Construction Jobless Rate Down In November as Industry adds 17,000 Jobs Mirroring the slowdown in construction volume in cold-weather months, the industry's December unemployment rate climbed to 11.4% from November’s 8.6% as the industry shed 16,000 jobs.But last year also proved to be much better for the construction workforce than 2012, as the industry added an average of 10,000 jobs per month, according to the latest Dept. of Labor monthly employment figures, released on Jan. 10,In addition, the industry’s jobs results last month reflected a
After a nearly eight-year absence prompted by jurisdictional disputes and strategy differences also shared by other disaffected unions, the International Union of Operating Engineers said Dec. 19 that it will reaffiliate with the main group of building trades.The reconnection officially adds 380,750 North American members to the group and nearly 100 apprenticeship programs.The operating engineers has $332.9 million in assets, making it the tenth largest union in the AFL-CIO. The union had never left that organized labor umbrella group but was joined by the laborers’ and teamsters unions in bolting from the building trades in 2006.The unions returned in 2008,
With the completion of a $43-million addition that adds 220,000 sq ft to its training space and more than doubles the size of the facility, the Carpenters' union international training center hopes to host twice the number of "students" it does now.The training center has trained more than 500,000 people since opening in 2001.The addition includes an expanded millwright training area focused on power generation, renewable energy plant construction and maintenance. There is also a scaffolding construction area with a 30-by-60-foot retractable roof, plus 30 classrooms and two large meeting halls.“This expansion will enable us conduct classes concurrently and host
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