Source: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C. The Associated Builders and Contractors 2020 Merit Shop Scorecard weighs state policies and programs that encourage workforce development, strengthen career and technical education, grow careers in construction, and promote fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction projects. Arizona tops the rankings for the first time based on its promotion of free enterprise and…
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Mixer driver recruitment survey: New-hire ranks rise, vacancies persist
Source: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
The 2019 NRMCA Mixer Driver Recruitment and Retention Survey shows the estimated industry driver pool increasing for the first time in two years, from 75,000 in 2016-2017 to 77,000 last year. Among survey respondents, 95 percent report driver vacancies—equating to nearly 10,000 unfilled driver positions through the end of 2018—versus 27 percent the prior year, while 60 percent turned away business due to lack of drivers available for material deliveries.
Read MoreAssociations poised for authoritative role in apprenticeship programs
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor; CP staff
A Labor Department Notice of Proposed Rulemaking calls for empowering agency staff to advance development of industry-recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAP), and trade associations or other not-for-profit organizations to function as Standards Recognition Entities (SRE) overseeing IRAP training, structure, and curricula in relevant industries or occupational areas.
Read MoreNRMCA seeks Driver Recruitment Survey responses by month’s end
Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff
The NRMCA Workforce Development Committee is encouraging producer participation in one of its top annual deliverables: the Mixer Driver Recruitment & Retention Survey, open here through June 28. Members aim to eclipse a 2018 survey sampling of 183 producers representing an estimated 26 percent of the industry driver pool.
Read MoreSix-figure grant advances Vulcan Diversity & Inclusion Council goals
Sources: Vulcan Materials Co., Birmingham, Ala.; CP staff
A $500,000 Vulcan Materials Company Foundation grant to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in key areas of the Southeast provides a) Scholarships and internships for students who win “pitch competitions,” to be judged by university leadership and members of Vulcan Materials’ Diversity & Inclusion Council; b) opportunities for students to improve innovation and infrastructure that businesses, higher education and government can support; c) company internships potentially leading to full-time employment; and, d) enhanced facility spaces that turn traditional college work spaces into tech-friendly study halls.
Read MoreICPI rolls out workforce program to combat contractor, installer labor shortage
Source: Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, Chantilly,Va.
Expedited by the Board of Directors, ICPI has launched a workforce development program in response to wide-spread contractor needs for new and better skilled employees. It includes a new Hardscape Installer/Contractor Career Path, in partnership with the National Concrete Masonry Association, that aligns the two groups’ certifications and education courses in a clear, achievable process for those entering the industry.
Read MoreWhite House hosts NRMCA officers for workforce development event
Sources: White House Briefing Room; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff
NRMCA Chairman Rodney Grogan (MMC Materials), Vice Chairman William Sandbrook (U.S. Concrete) and Safety, Environmental & Operations Committee Chairman David Williams (Chaney Enterprises) represented the ready mixed concrete industry at a late-October White House gathering for the workforce development-rooted Pledge to America’s Workers campaign.
Read MoreWorkforce development the White House order of the day
Associated Builders and Contractors is among 20-plus charter signatories to “Pledge to America’s Workers,” supporting a White House initiative, National Council for the American Worker, that President Donald Trump created by Executive Order. The Council is charged with developing a strategy for training and retraining workers across high demand industries.
Read MoreLafargeHolcim brands align with Army on workforce development
Sources: Lafarge North America, Chicago; CP staff
Through its domestic Lafarge, Holcim and Aggregate Industries businesses, LafargeHolcim is supporting the Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) program to provide U.S. Army veterans workforce opportunities after their service. The partnership is part of a recruitment option allowing students to simultaneously serve and prepare for their future.
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