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I was encouraged during the last Republican presidential debate to hear Sen. Marco Rubio talk about the need to "Make higher education faster and easier to access.”"For the life of me, I don't know why we have stigmatized vocational education,” Rubio said. “Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers,” he said, adding that “if we do this we will be able to increase wages for millions of Americans."Here is what he said in full:
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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October 1, 2015 was a star-studded night at the Wortham Theater Center as some of the best and brightest in the construction industry were honored at the Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Houston chapter’s (ABC) annual Excellence in Construction (EIC) Gala. Member companies submitted their best work to compete in various categories while hoping to win the coveted traveling award: Best of Houston. Talk about bragging rights!More than 200 guests attended the dinner and ceremony. The charismatic Jose Griñan of FOX 26 News was the event’s emcee. Anxious finalists and guests were treated with light-hearted jokes and words of encouragement as he announced the Merit and ICE award winners throughout the night.To keep the voting fair, an outside firm was chosen to decide the Best of Houston award winner. SpawGlass was awarded the Best in Houston Award for the Port Arthur Savings Renovation Project.
November 16, 2015
Editor’s note: The following remarks were presented by Pat Kiley at the SER-Jobs for Progress 50th Anniversary “Building Our Workforce” Gala on Oct 16, 2015.In his current New York Times bestseller, The Road to Character, heralded author, David Brooks, reprinted this quote: “What people of character say about themselves, is the smallest part of what people of character give of themselves. People of character let their actions and their behaviors make their statements.” And by this standard, the family that we honor here tonight – this Tellepsen Family; these second-, third-, and fourth-generation descendants of immigrants from Norway; this family of demonstrated character by this high standard – is writing a body of work equal to any of the great literary or symphonic achievements.It is evident that they have been given a strong value-based foundation, values of faith, family, service to others and learning. It is also evident that they have been exhorted since their earliest days to “be involved with something bigger than themselves” and to “give when they did not have so they would be sure to give when they did.”
November 13, 2015
Many students seeking a certification already possess a four-year degree and have decided to learn a trade in order to make a better living for their families.
November 12, 2015
Employment strengthens in October; ABI, housing starts pick up in SeptemberEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 271,000 in October, seasonally adjusted, and by 2,814,000 (2.0%) year-over-year (y/y), while the unemployment rate dropped to a 7-1/2 year low of 5.0%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. Construction employment rose by 31,000 for the month (to 6,434,000) and by 233,000 (3.8%) over 12 months.
November 11, 2015
It all started in 1978 when a group of East Harlem teenagers were posed the question of what could be done to improve their community. Their answer was simple: “We’d rebuild the houses...We’d take empty buildings back from the drug dealers and eliminate crime.” And they did.Built upon these youth’s eagerness to continue improving their community and the communities around them, and with the help of East Harlem Block Schools Executive Director Dorothy Stoneman, YouthBuild was born. Originally founded as the Youth Action Program, which still exists today, YouthBuild USA was established in 1984.
November 10, 2015
SER celebrated with a gala featuring a silent auction, dinner, inspirational speakers, and live music where they raised over $365,000 in support of their life-changing workforce development services.
November 09, 2015
The following article originally appeared in the November newsletter to clients of Kiley Advisors, LLC for the purpose of providing the latest leading indicators and industry issues to those clients. Reprinted with permission.As the year comes closer to an end, and the downturn becomes more prevalent, a more common projection of 2017/2018 for recovery continues to emerge. However, Houston will not be lifeless over the next few years, but rather a slower, normal pace, that may give contractors the breathing room they needed after 2014’s frenetic pace.City of Houston permits show residential permitting down nearly 10% from a year ago, which tracks with Metrostudy’s projection of 2015 starts being down 10% from 2014 at year end. Even with a 10% decline, Houston’s single family market is easily still the leader in US, and has the tightest supply of lots of the major Texas metros, making it very difficult for Houston to oversupply lots going forward. The Grand Parkway, particularly south of the Westpark Tollway, has remained the strongest area, with Northeast Houston also showing strength in part due to the downstream activity and the Generation Park development. Looking ahead, onerous new closing regulations, lot shortages, higher labor costs, financing difficulties and home affordability are all challenges that point toward a decline into 2015 and 2016 before a recovery is expected.
November 06, 2015
The industrial construction renaissance underway along the Texas Gulf Coast brings all sorts of workforce challenges – and educators and industry leaders are working overtime to meet them head on. Construction Citizen’s team recently traveled to Lake Jackson to check out programs offered at Brazosport College, where they’re stepping up to meet the demands of an estimated $25 billion in industrial construction projects in southern Brazoria County over the next few years.You read that right: $25 billion in industrial construction is expected in just the southern portion of this geographically isolated county in the next several years.Anne Bartlett, Brazosport’s Vice President of Industry and Community Resources, holds a unique position. She is able to cobble together multiple funding streams to make it possible for students to enter the workforce quickly with needed skills. “We're taking folks who've been on welfare and now they have this awesome job,” Bartlett said with pride. “It's a life transformational thing that is helping our community as a whole because we're putting more people into the situation where they can be good citizens.”
November 05, 2015
Craft shortages continue to be a boon for experienced workers who are commanding top pay for their high-demand skills. On the other hand, rising wages in a shortage environment tend to benefit unskilled workers also, and employers are too often paying premium wages for insufficient training and lower productivity. Why? Because bodies are needed and employers must compete for every craft worker.The Engineering News-Record article titled Craft Pay Ramps Up As Worker Gaps Grow (October 2015), points out that as construction spending increases toward pre-recession peaks, worker pay is following suit, and some employers are seeing the largest pay escalation in decades. In fact, the Construction Labor Market Analyzer (CLMA) projects wage and per diem escalation of 2-4% over the next few years with the most highly skilled crafts expected to grow at the greatest rates.
November 04, 2015
