A Sustainable Workforce Starts With You
We live in a “gig” economy. Something that lots of us in the construction industry have known for decades as “independent contractors” or “day labor.” With the impact of millennials in the new economy, “gig” workers are becoming a major factor. That may change after a 7-0 decision in the Supreme Court of California. Let me lay the groundwork for the decision. [node:read-more:link]
There is little question that drones are already changing the way we live. If retailers like Walmart and Amazon have their way, the change will accelerate over the next few years. There are manufacturers who are developing and testing passenger drones that will have the capability of transporting passengers above the congested freeways in our major cities. [node:read-more:link]
We have been following this one for some time. As you might recall, the Millennium Tower, a “pricey” 58-story luxury condominium tower at 301 Mission Street was built on a site of sand and fill from the time when part of the bay was filled to make way for additional development in the City by the Bay. [node:read-more:link]
As technology makes inroads onto the jobsite, it is time to find ways to identify and track workers on the site as a matter of life safety and security, and Disney has taken that idea to the next level. [node:read-more:link]
Disney World in Orlando might seem to be a strange place for a conversation about Workers' Compensation in Texas, but it was the right setting for a recent conversation I had with a man who, like me, was looking for a bright sunny spot in the morning cool to sit while his grandkids rode a nearby ride. I found out how serious the lack of Workers' Compensation is on jobs other than construction. [node:read-more:link]
This is not an isolated example around Texas and even around the country and while there are problems for developers in some locations, the opportunities for skilled construction workers are getting better as demand rises Whether a plumber or a carpenter, your Spring Outlook is getting brighter. [node:read-more:link]
Disruption, chaos, change, firms in the middle of succession plans, mergers, consolidations and acquisitions could be added to the list, but that might overwhelm an already crazy industry. Many of the leaders of construction industry firms are sitting there with “pinwheel eyes and a crenelated mouth” as my mentor, Willie Pena, FAIA used to say. [node:read-more:link]
The Trump-set March 5th deadline for Congress to do something about immigration reform has come and gone. The President offered a deal that made the hardline folks who voted for him really angry. “A deal was possible,” said Charles Foster, Chairman of Foster LLP, one of the largest global immigration firms in the US, and who has been an advisor to three presidents on immigration issues. [node:read-more:link]
This new commitment comes on the heels of their “pilot trades training program” for separating military members in a partnership with the non-profit National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Builders Institute on Ft. Stewart and Ft. Bragg. The first students will graduate from this 12-week pre-apprentice program this Spring.
According to the latest BLS numbers, while expanding above the 7 million level, the construction industry has not fully recovered our workforce after the recession. The economy and our industry are now in expansion mode and a number of companies with skilled trades are scrambling for qualified workers in order to be able to meet the demands and schedules on their existing projects, not to mention the ones in the bid pipeline. [node:read-more:link]
