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According to an article in DeZeen Magazine, the ten tallest skyscrapers under construction for completion of core and shell in 2015 are located across the globe, but only one of them is in the US – 432 Park Avenue in New York City, which will be “the tallest all-residential building in the world.”Others of note are the Vostok Tower in Russia, the Shanghai Tower in China, Capital Market Authority Tower in Saudi Arabia, and the Marina 101 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Read the full article to check out the stats, the designers and the engineering marvels that are being used to achieve new heights.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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Educators will tell you there was a time, not all that long ago, when folks in higher education had very little interest in working collaboratively to address the workforce needs of businesses in their communities. Those days are over. The needs are so great that there is now a recognition that unprecedented teamwork is necessary for the good of businesses and their potential employees.
January 13, 2015
Jobs added in 2014 are most since 2005; union pay raises inch up; retail metrics improveEditor’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.If you have not already, please help AGC craft its 2015 Construction Business Outlook and take this short survey.Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 252,000 in December, seasonally adjusted, and by 2,952,000 (2.1%) over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. Construction employment rose by 48,000 for the month and 290,000 (4.9%) over the year to 6,166,000, the highest total since March 2009 and the largest annual increase since 2005. Residential construction employment (residential building and specialty trade contractors) climbed by 13,500 for the month and 132,100 (6.0%) for the year.
January 12, 2015
The word “audit” doesn’t necessarily have the most pleasant connotation for most non-profits. However, Construction and Maintenance Education Foundation (CMEF), the training affiliate of Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston, successfully passed their recent NCCER audit. After a training facility is accredited by NCCER, they participate in an audit every three years as part of the reaccreditation process. Acting almost as a review, an auditor will assess the facility’s effectiveness by evaluating equipment, classes, student performance and instructor records. NCCER awarded CMEF the Accredited Assessment Center and Accredited Training Sponsor Certificates, and endorsed the Foundation for Mobile Crane and Rigger/Signal Person certification delivery.
January 09, 2015
On November 12, the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) held a Workforce Development Summit as part of their UpSkill Houston initiative at which Joseph Fuller, Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School, was the luncheon keynote speaker. Gina Luna, GHP Vice Chairman and Chairman at JPMorgan Chase in Houston, introduced him to the gathered group of business leaders, educators, and representatives from community organizations.After some opening remarks, Mr. Fuller began the meat of his presentation by explaining why projects like UpSkill Houston are so crucial. He said,“Something good has to happen here, because this city, this state, the energy sector – and more importantly and more profoundly – the country is suffering from a wasting disease, and the waste is that we are not investing in the skills of young people or people who have been displaced from the workforce,
January 08, 2015
The Second Avenue subway line currently under construction in New York City is one of the largest infrastructure projects under way in the United States.According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) information,The Second Avenue Subway will be New York City’s first major expansion of the subway system in over 50 years. When fully completed, the line will stretch 8.5 miles along the length of Manhattan's East Side, from 125th Street in Harlem to Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan. In addition, a track connection to the existing 63rd Street and Broadway Lines, will allow a second subway line to provide direct service from East Harlem and the Upper East Side to West Midtown via the Broadway express tracks.
January 07, 2015
A key political leader in Texas is set to propose a plan to build on sweeping education reforms passed in the state two years ago. House Speaker Joe Straus this week announced he will propose additional resources for counseling of students. This comes after some lawmakers questioned whether the state is doing enough to make sure students and their parents are equipped to take full advantage of changes made under House Bill 5, which created multiple pathways to a high school diploma.Specifically, Speaker Straus will ask lawmakers to approve stipends for counselors designed to entice those educators to pursue additional training in their field. Doing so would enable them to better serve students who now have to navigate the more complicated system of multiple pathways to graduation.
January 06, 2015
Construction spending slips in November; two-thirds of metros add jobs in yearEditor’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.Construction spending in November totaled $975 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 0.3% from the upwardly revised rate in October and up 2.4% from November 2013, the Census Bureau reported on Monday. Private residential spending rose 0.9% for the month but slipped 0.5% over the latest 12 months; private nonresidential spending dipped 0.3% month-over-month but grew 4.7% year-over- year; and public construction spending fell fell 1.7% and rose 3.2%, respectively.
January 05, 2015
Ethical operators in construction do all they can to ensure their craftsmen and women are extremely safe on their jobsites. Many companies go as far as maintaining an ongoing relationship with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, so that the industry and the government can be proactive, instead of reactive, when it comes to the safety of people on jobsites across America. While some companies are skeptical that kind of arrangement, other firms have found it is a positive way to stay ahead of potential problems that increase liability and make them less attractive employment options.
January 02, 2015
The following article was written by Tamar Jacoby, President of ImmigrationWorks, and originally published in The Wall Street Journal:Dakota Blazier had made a big decision. Friendly and fresh-faced, from a small town north of Indianapolis, he'd made up his mind: He wasn't going to college."I discovered a long time ago," he explained, "I'm not book smart. I don't like sitting still, and I learn better when the problem is practical." But he didn't feel this limited his options—to the contrary. And he was executing a plan as purposeful as that of any of his high-school peers.It started in his junior year with release time from high school to take a course in basic construction skills at a craft training center run by the Associated Builders and Contractors. The next step was an internship with a local contractor, Gaylor Electric.
December 31, 2014
