ABC to Congress: College Degrees Do Not Define Career Success
Longtime construction industry leader, instructor and military veteran Frank Boecker testified on Nov. 4 on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development on the indispensable role that community colleges, trade schools and career and technical education programs play in the construction industry.
Boecker, called for continued investment in apprenticeship programs, craft courses and career and technical education programs, as well as the need for the federal government to promote all programs and pathways that lead to a fulfilling career.
“We must continue to spotlight the opportunities for young people and individuals looking for a career through more affordable options: In our case, a free, earn-while-you-learn, four-year education that provides the skills needed for financial independence and a rewarding career,” said Boecker.
Boecker urged Congress to continue promoting the benefits of alternate education pathways for successful careers.
A Need to Address Mental Health at Work, Survey Reveals
The American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health has partnered with the Construction Financial Management Association, CSDZ and Holmes Murphy to conduct a survey of the construction workforce. The survey, answered by 1,175 respondents, seeks to address mental health and the high rate of suicide in the industry.
Key findings include:
- 93% of all survey respondents recognize addressing mental health at work as a sound business practice.
- Only 26% indicated they believed workers were likely to seek mental health care, 43% did not know and 31% said it was unlikely.
- Overall, respondents said their organizations make supervisor training (25%) or employee training (25%) available.
- The top four reasons for reticence to discuss mental health with supervisors or colleagues, according to those polled were:
- Shame and stigma (78%)
- Fear of judgment by peers (77%)
- Fear of negative consequences (55%)
- Don’t know how to access care (46%)
Those who need assistance or know someone in need of mental health support can seek help at the APA Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health (workplacementalhealth.org); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov/suicide); or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (suicidepreventionlifeline.org).
2021 Construction Outlook Enhances Industry Knowledge
JLL has released its H2 Construction Outlook, a report covering construction in 2021, including statistics and forecasts. The report states that unemployment in the industry reached 4.6% in August 2021 compared with 7.6% at the same time in 2020. It also tallies construction costs, such as labor wages (up 4.46% from 2020), materials costs (up 23.1%) and total costs (up 4.51% overall).
The report can be found at us.jll.com. It is information that pairs well with ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu’s analysis of 2021 construction.
Cyber Threats Are Top Business Concern
1,200 business leaders recently responded to the 2021 Travelers Risk Index, which has revealed that 59% of respondents worry “some or a great deal” about cyber. That is in comparison to 53% concern for medical cost inflation and 53% concern regarding increasing employee benefit costs. Cyber threats also ranked first in the 2019 survey.
Further, just 61% of participants reported feeling extremely or very confident in their company’s cyber practices, in tandem with one-fourth of participants answering that their company has been a cyber victim. Nearly half of the businesses (47%) reported that the event happened within the past 12 months.
Security breaches, system glitches and unauthorized access to bank accounts are the top three cyber-specific business concerns.
Access the full index at travelers.com/resources/risk-index.
Customers Connect With Products at Autodesk 2021
The announcements kept coming at Autodesk University 2021 in which the software company alerted attendees to its new products and enhancements, including:
- A new beta API in Autodesk Takeoff to extend the life of takeoff data.
- New functionality in Autodesk BIM Collaborate to better identify design and constructability issues.
- Cloud-based wastewater decision-making capabilities.
- Cloud-to-cloud connectivity between Esri ArcGIS Online and Autodesk Construction Cloud.
- Microclimate analysis from Spacemaker.
The goal, reads a press release, is to strengthen the company’s ability to connect industry teams and data—from design through construction and operations—on its single platform. For more information, visit autodesk.com.
Safety Guidance for Contractors Poses a Catch-22
The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has released guidance for federal contractors following President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14042. The guidance requires:
- COVID-19 vaccination of covered contractor employees, except in limited circumstances where an employee is legally entitled to an accommodation;
- Compliance by individuals, including covered contractor employees and visitors, with the Guidance related to masking and physical distancing while in covered contractor workplaces; and
- Designation by covered contractors of a person or persons to coordinate COVID-19 workplace safety efforts at covered contractor workplaces.
“The Task Force guidance is very broad in scope and raises a number of unresolved questions,” says Ben Brubeck, vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors. While Brubeck stresses that vaccination is encourages and safe work environments are critical to the merit shop industry, the guidance is yet another roadblock for construction—in nearly two years of roadblocks.
“Based on our initial reading, this guidance will result in additional compliance burdens, exacerbate the construction industry’s skilled workforce shortage and increase costs for federal contractors and taxpayers,” Brubeck says.
Until all questions and concerns are addressed, industry professionals should monitor the situation closely and ensure they adhere to all regulations.
A New CMP in Town
In case you missed it, Collaborate 2021 featured some important technology news. Besides the education sessions, testimonials, industry trends, metrics and insights from keynote speaker Laila Ali, the conference marked the evolution of Viewpoint into Trimble Viewpoint and the introduction of a cloud-based construction management platform, Trimble Construction One. Find out more at viewpoint.com/trimble-construction-one.
