Transcript HBR Joint Member/Subscriber Breakfast

Greater Houston
Construction Careers
Initiative
Construction Labor Situation

Workload increasing significantly in East Texas
due to new refining, power plant, LNG, ethanol &
off-shore projects

Recovery and rebuilding in hurricane impacted
areas have and will draw labor away from Houston

Aging workforce, average age around 50

Past construction image has been unattractive to
young persons as a career choice because of work
environment and wage and benefit levels.

Traditional recruiting methods no longer work.

Wages are rising, 20 to 30% higher after 2005
hurricanes.
2006 Accomplishments

Revised Key Points of Agreement, including an increase
in funding for CMEF to 6 cents on all hours.

Implemented Basic Training for Future Craft
Professionals, three classes held for 70 new helpertrainee recruits.

Achieved a TWC grant through Lee College for $780,279
to train 690 incumbent workers between September 06
and February 08

Construction Expo and Craft Championship held at Lee
College in October and 275 High School Students
attended.

1760 college craft training units, 28% higher than 2005

3300 skills assessments, 1600 passing, up 50% over 2005

Over 200 Performance verifications achieved
Basic Training for Future Craft
Professionals (Piloted at Lee College)

Started in mid 2006 for the purpose of bringing new individuals
into the construction and maintenance industry.

Collaborative effort between Owners, Contractors, CMEF, ABC,
and Lee College.

Training includes NCCER’s core modules, soft skill training,
basic safety, and a formal mentoring program.

Class is designed for 25 to 30 students and lasts two weeks,
eight hours per day.

Students are recruited by Contractors and hired prior to
training start.

The Owners agreed to allow student, after completion of
training, to work at site as craft helper-trainee
Basic Training for Future
Craft Professionals

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June Pilot Class - 23 of the original 27
Candidates are on the job and attending craft
training classes after hours.
August Class - 28 of the original 28
Candidates completed training and all but one
are currently working on sites and attending
craft training classes.
December Class – 16 completed their two
week class last Friday.
Feedback from all has been very positive
Construction Careers Initiative
To further address the craft labor concerns a
Construction Careers Initiative was

Begun earlier this year as a joint effort
between the Houston Business Roundtable
(HBR), Associated Builders and Constructors
(ABC) & Construction Maintenance
Education Foundation (CMEF)

A Leadership Team was created and
Marketing, Recruiting and Youth Committees
have been formed
Business Roundtable - Gulf Coast
Workforce Development Initiative

Meeting held in early October with
HBR, ABC, CMEF and others to discuss
how the GCWDI could be rolled into
east Texas.

GCWDI offered the “I’m GREAT”
marketing program for our use and
even indicated some funding could be
expected.
Greater Houston Construction
Careers Initiative
The Construction Careers Initiative has since
made plans to incorporate much of the
marketing efforts and other concepts started in
Louisiana and Mississippi into a new initiative
now known as the
“Greater Houston Construction
Careers Initiative”
Greater Houston Construction
Careers Initiative Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Market for Construction candidates using
“I’m Great” Campaign
Potential candidates phone into Call Center in
Dallas
Call Center refers candidate to local
WorkSource office
WorkSource pre-screens for interest, aptitude,
reading skills, etc.
WorkSource refers likely candidates to drug
test collection site and next convenient Basic
Training class (must pass drug screen to take
training)
Candidate starts training
Greater Houston Construction
Careers Initiative Process
7.
Student completes application for employment
database
8.
Student info entered into database
9.
Potential Employers search database for new
recruits
10.
Open Career Fair held for recruits and potential
employers
11.
Student completes Basic Training class
12.
Employers interview, screen, recruit and hire
13.
Recruit starts career in Construction
2007 Plans

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Work with TWC to fund a multi-college training
skills grant
Work with the WorkSource to firm up screening
process
Finish developing recruiting database
Develop an industry commitment to fund training
not covered by grants (trainees must be employed
through 90 days after completion of the grant).
Develop commitments from industry to employ
those who complete training (100 students per
month, 1000 per year)
Kickoff “I’m Great” marketing campaign (possibly
at the March 31 OSHA Youth Rally)
Broaden Industry Involvement

Currently only a handful of owners and
contractors are involved

We need more owners and contractors
involvement in hiring these employees and
keeping them employed (must be employed by a
contractor to receive the grant funds for training)

This is an opportunity to close the gap on
resource shortages, let’s not let it slip by us!!
Questions