On May 31, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Acosta and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, visited a jobsite of Omega Construction, an ABC member headquartered in Winston Salem, N.C. Secretary Acosta and Rep. Foxx toured the Hotel Indigo renovation, guided by Omega Construction President Barry Hennings, and met with employees and apprentices.

ABC’s Greg Sizemore, vice president of HSE and workforce development, joined the secretaries of labor, education, commerce and stakeholders from industry, education and government in the Oval Office on May 10 to present the final report from the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion to President Trump. The report outlines how industry-recognized apprenticeship programs and other innovations can help meet the need for highly skilled workers in all industry sectors.

According to the final report of the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, apprenticeship programs offer workers a career path with paid, on-the-job training and provide employers with highly trained workers, but they are insufficient to address the growing skills gap in many industries. ABC commended the secretaries of labor, education and commerce for leading the task force comprised of representatives from industry, education and government to generate new ideas to expand the role of apprenticeships and help more individuals achieve the American Dream.

Incorporating technology to improve productivity and addressing a shortage of workers are among the top challenges facing the construction industry, according to chief executives from ABC and other leading firms at this year’s BuiltWorlds Summit in Chicago. The exclusive gathering brought together architecture, engineering, technology and construction leaders and strategists to engage in open discussion about the current and future state of the built industry in April.  

On April 12, ABC members attended a ceremony with President Trump in the White House Rose Garden celebrating the positive effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on businesses. As a result of the bill, 55 percent of ABC contractor members say they plan to hire more employees, and 52 percent plan to invest in workforce development, according to a recent poll. In addition, 90 percent of member companies say employees have seen an increase in their paychecks.

ABC announced the winners of the Construction Management Competition (CMC), National Craft Championships (NCC), Craft Professional of the Year and Craft Instructor of the Year during its Careers in Construction Awards ceremony at the conclusion of ABC Convention 2018 in Long Beach, Calif., March 22.

Preconstruction manager and construction superintendent are among the top ten best jobs of 2018, according to employment search engine Indeed. Based on salary—jobs with a baseline salary of at least $75,000—and abundance of opportunity based on growth in job postings on Indeed.com, careers in construction are on the rise.

ABC named the nation’s top craft professional and craft instructor during ABC Convention 2018 last week in Long Beach, Calif. Richard Brown of Gaylor Electric Inc. was named 2018 Craft Professional of the Year, and William Fuller of ABC’s Greater Houston Chapter was named 2018 Craft Instructor of the Year.

Sixteen teams of four undergraduate students from colleges and universities nationwide put their construction project leadership skills to the test during ABC’s annual Construction Management Competition (CMC) at ABC Convention 2018 in Long Beach, Calif. Teams were assigned to manage the completion of the same mock project over two days. First, second and third place awards in five categories were presented to the winners at the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony at the convention’s conclusion on March 22.

ABC announced the winners of the 31st annual National Craft Championships (NCC) during its Careers in Construction Awards ceremony at the conclusion of ABC Convention 2018 in Long Beach, Calif.