DENVER — The Associated General Contractors of Colorado (AGC) demonstrates solidarity with Governor John W. Hickenlooper’s latest proclamation for October as “Colorado Construction Careers Month,” with three construction employment training opportunity programs. These programs offer construction career pathways beginning with advocacy to high school guidance counselors to pre-apprenticeship training to career opportunities for mid-level construction workers. This range of opportunities supports Gov. Hickenlooper’s proclamation to “…narrow the skills gap by guiding America’s youth and displaced workers into opportunities that lead to long-term rewarding careers in construction.”
The first program is called Construction Careers Connection and provides high school guidance counselors and teachers in the Denver area with information regarding various construction career pathways for their students. The Construction “Careers Connection” navigator team, consisting of representatives from local general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, have created a construction careers manual for distribution to high schools and will interact with the students directly serving as guides regarding the opportunities in the construction industry. The program rolls out for the 2017-2018 academic year in 11 Denver-metro area schools, with expansion planned for the 2018-2019 academic year with 11 more schools. In addition, during the month of October, contractors will be offering job site tours for students to experience what it is like to be a contractor for a day.
Construction Careers Now (CCN), a pre-apprenticeship training course, is a second program supported by AGC and has already graduated 471 participants since its beginning in September of 2016 and is slated to continue through August of 2018. 56 percent of those graduates have either been hired directly by local contractors or are pursuing continuing education in the construction industry. No experience is required for this program and is free to participants. CCN is made possible with additional support from of the Colorado Contractors Association (CCA), the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado (HCC), and Emily Griffith Technical College, and relies on state grant funding and donations from local contractors to support the participants’ training.
BuildColorado.com is the third initiative AGC provides to increase the awareness of construction employment opportunities and apprenticeship programs in Colorado. The site hosts immediate job openings for people who already have some experience in construction and are looking to advance their careers further as well as some postings for entry level construction workers. BuildColorado.com also serves as a resource for those looking for more information about construction career pathways in addition to current compensation levels by job description.
AGC will continue to honor Gov. Hickenlooper’s proclamation well beyond the month of October to assist Coloradoans in their efforts to embark on a career in construction. By offering construction career opportunities from high schoolers to mid-level workers, AGC is helping to overcome the construction workforce labor shortage at all levels to help construction companies keep up with the booming demand and to provide Coloradans with the opportunities for rewarding careers in construction.
Photo courtesy of AGC: Construction Careers Now has graduated 471 participants since its beginning in September of 2016.
