Workforce Under Construction

The following is an excerpt from an article by Joanna Masterson, Developing Prized Recruits in Western Michigan, from the April 2014 issue of Construction Executive.

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One of the victims of the economic downturn in western Michigan was construction training. With no jobs in sight, community college programs all but fell apart. But now that contractors are getting busy again, there’s a renewed focus on attracting youth to the construction industry and providing training programs to get them job-ready.

In response, the ABC Western Michigan Chapter formed a task force last fall that put together a curriculum to be administered by Grand Rapids Community College’s (GRCC) Tassel M-TEC. The program—called the Construction Core Certification (CCC)—combines the NCCER core curriculum with training requested by ABC members. For example, contractors expressed a desire for employees with OSHA 10, first-aid and CPR certifications, as well as a rough terrain forklift license and competence in scaffold erection.

With a solid implementation proposal from GRCC’s Tassel M-TEC, ABC Western Michigan kicked off a CCC pilot program in January with 17 students meeting two nights a week for a total of 96 hours of training. When class wraps up in May, the participants will offer feedback so the program can be improved and then offered on an open enrollment basis in the fall. The goal is to reach both existing ABC member employees and others outside the construction industry who want to learn these skills.

Since first being published by Associated Builders and Contractors Services Corp. in 2003, the magazine has served as the leading source for news, market developments and business issues impacting the construction industry. For more information, visit www.constructionexec.com or follow @ConstructionMag. The full article detailing the Ohio Construction Academy can be read here.