Construction Training Initiative
July 31, 2006
As the Gulf Coast region continues to recover from the hurricanes of 2005, Business Roundtable, www.businessroundtable.org, Washington, D.C., announced the roll out of a broad-based effort to recruit and train upwards of 20,000 new construction workers in this region by the end of 2009.
Business Roundtable is an association of CEOs from leading U.S. companies with more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenues and more than 10 million employees. The Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative is headed by the Business Roundtable and is working with local businesses, construction trade groups, labor unions, community organizations, academic institutions, and government officials on this task.
“The Gulf Coast region is a key component of a strong national economy, and Business Roundtable CEOs remain committed to helping this area regain its vitality,” says Charles O. Holliday, Jr., chairman and CEO of DuPont. He is co-chairman of the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative along with Riley Bechtel, chairman and CEO of the Bechtel Group, Inc.
Up to $5 million will be committed by roundtable companies for critically needed early funding to coordinate the training and aid in recruiting members. Funds from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Pathways to Construction program and national emergency grants will be applied to perform training.