Careers in Construction Month focus on training and safety - by Joe Camilo

October is Careers in Construction Month, and rarely has it been more consequential. According to our chapter’s national parent organization, the construction industry needs to attract half-a-million new workers in the coming year to meet demand. Addressing that need is a huge job, but we at ABC MA are trying to do our part.

As part of our workforce development efforts we have launched Building Mass Careers, a 501(c)3 charitable organization that is using grant funds to conduct pre-apprenticeship programs for diverse cohorts of individuals interested in construction.

Just last month, the Gould Construction Institute (GCI), ABC MA’s educational affiliate, opened its first-ever bricks and mortar facility in Billerica, MA. Windover Construction worked with a number of fellow ABC-MA contactors to build out six classrooms at the facility with state-of-the-art shop and equipment space for hands-on practical education.  Watch for information on the formal ribbon cutting ceremony.

As Gould president Julie DeStefano said, “Having our own facility gives us the flexibility to do things like offer year-round apprenticeship training and expand daytime training programs.”

While the new GCI facility is a symbol of a changing construction industry, some priorities remain the same. None is more enduring than the responsibility we have to make sure all our employees return home safely to their families every evening. To that end, the Chapter’s 2024 STEP (Safety Training Evaluation Process) Awards were given out late last month. Congratulations to the 37 ABC MA companies who were honored for going above and beyond to ensure the safety of their employees.

Every day, we in the construction industry face formidable challenges. I urge you to take a moment to look into the services ABC MA provides to make those challenges just a little more manageable.

Joe Camilo is the chairman of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.-Mass. Chapter and is the vice president/general manager at Tocco Building Systems, Billerica, Mass.