Turning to construction, it can seem like finding additional craft employees is a little like looking for the elusive mythical beast. Well maybe not that hard, but close. In fact, Colorado added 11,500 construction employees in the last year, a 7.5 percent growth rate.

Where will the next 10,000 construction employees come from? Associated General Contractors (AGC) and Colorado Contractors Association (CCA) have developed a Construction Careers Now Orientation Program with Emily Griffith Technical College. The class will run monthly at night, starting Sept. 12, 2016, so currently underemployed individuals can see if a career in construction is a good fit for them.

How will these individuals know about the opportunity that awaits them? AGC, CCA and Hispanic Contractors of Colorado (HCC) have teamed up to secure a $1 million outreach and recruitment grant through the WORK ACT. We will be using 2 recruiters (plus a hefty dose of social media and other communications efforts) to attract underemployed individuals and graduating high school seniors to the class.

What's in the class? An industry advisory board made up of ops directors from AGC and CCA GC's and specialty contractors designed a curriculum mix of safety, intro to the trades, and hands on construction basics to give attendees a taste of the career that is available to them in construction.

To become involved as a sponsor or instructor contact Bryan Cook, AGC Chapter Operations Director at 303/388-2422 or bryan@agccolorado.org.