ETA News Release: [September 30, 2004]
Contact Name: Ed Frank
Phone Number: 202-693-4676
U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces Grant of Nearly $4.3 Million to Train and Recruit Workers for Construction Industry Careers
COLUMBUS, Ohio-U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced a grant of nearly $4.3 million to the Home Builders Institute (HBI) to recruit, educate, and train about 2,500 high school students, incumbent and dislocated workers for career opportunities in the construction industry.
"This $4.3 million grant will help train workers for good paying jobs in the construction industry which is seeing tremendous growth," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "Our nation is facing a shortage of skilled workers, and this grant supports the Administration's commitment on training workers for good paying jobs in high growth industries."
The grant announced today furthers the Administration's commitment through the High-Growth Job Training Initiative to prepare American workers for careers in the nation's fastest-growing sectors of the economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 279,000 additional tradesmen and women will be needed in the construction industry by 2012.
Through this grant, HBI and its partners will establish an associate's degree or equivalent credential that addresses the skills needed in residential construction. Ten construction trade academies will be established across the nation to offer training in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning crafts. The program products and educational tools will be disseminated to community colleges and vocational training centers for replication throughout the country.
Key partners in the project include the Home Builders Association of Kentucky, the Florida Home Builders Association, the South Carolina Home Builders Association, York Technical College in South Carolina, and the American Association of Community Colleges.
The Labor Department also recently launched "The Skills to Build America's Future" initiative, which helps build national awareness of the importance of skilled workers to our economy and nation. For more information about this program, please visit www.careervoyages.gov.
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