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In January of 2019, the new leadership group of Mobile AL CLC met to discuss the goals for the 2019 calendar year. Among these goals were to encourage �ԹϺ����� leaders to guide their young people to CLC, engage current CLC members and recruit others, find new and creative meeting formats and community service projects.

The General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) held its Annual Meeting on January 13, 2020 to look back on the past year’s successes of the association and its members, and to look forward to new initiatives in the upcoming year. This year, the event focused on the construction industry’s future, and featured speakers who spoke about developing young construction leaders and about the importance of supporting workforce development programs.

Union representation across occupations in the construction industry modestly declined in 2019, from 13.8 percent to 13.6 percent of workers employed, according to an annual release recently issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”). Union membership in the industry also modestly declined, from 12.8 percent to 12.6 percent, but remains considerably higher than the all-industry average in the private sector, which declined from 6.4 percent to 6.2 percent over the year. Construction union representation and membership decreased by a larger margin in 2018 but increased slightly in both 2017 and 2016. The total number of workers in construction (regardless of union affiliation) rose in each of those years. In 2019, the number rose from 8,169,000 to 8,352,000.

Mauricio Henderson, 37, is the President of Perseverance in Denver, Colorado. Mauricio joined �ԹϺ�����'s Business Development Forum for access to a peer network to get other peoples perspectives on industry challenges and share information that can add value to other organizations. Mauricio states that the "BD Forum is beneficial because we all have blind spots and it gives us a platform to help member organizations grow and become more effective." Mauricio is a tremendous advocate for the construction industry by engaging the youth in the construction workforce and helping the construction business community.“I have been given a unique talent to connect others to amazing construction employment opportunities and information. I continue to make a tremendous impact in diverse communities that surround all of us. My passion is connecting someone to an employment opportunity or providing valuable information and them just smiling and saying thank you. I hope we all can succeed together." A graduate of the Tidewater Building Association Pre-Apprenticeship Program, Mauricio started his career as an electrical helper. After working in the trade for a year, he began his electrical apprenticeship at Tidewater Community College. During this time, he had the opportunity to work on numerous construction projects such as residential, commercial, maritime, and industrial. After working in the electrical trade for over ten years, he started his own construction workforce company called Perseverance. With his passion to help others, he knows that true leadership is not about how far you advance but how far you help others advance.

Because �ԹϺ����� understands that Business Development is a crucial topic in the construction industry that interests and affects all of our members, we will be offering several BD-related educational sessions and networking opportunities.

�ԹϺ����� of America’s Business Development Forum, is partnering with The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), to offer free one-on-one BD “Check-Ups” for �ԹϺ����� Convention attendees to review and offer guidance on their BD and marketing related efforts. Subject matter experts from across the nation will be paired with attendees to answer questions and challenges relating to BD planning, sales, proposals, client presentations, branding, brochures, websites, social media, and more.

The Rochester metro area was the nation’s third fastest growing construction job market during the past 12 months, according to an analysis released by the Associated General Contractors of America today. As local construction firms expand their payrolls, the national association and its local chapter, however, are taking steps to prepare the next generation of construction workers amid significant construction worker shortages.

Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas and Kansas City Have Largest Gains; New York City and Fairbanks, Alaska Lag the Most as Labor Shortages Likely Kept Firms in Many Areas from Adding Even More Workers

On Jan. 31, �ԹϺ�����, along with �ԹϺ����� of Western Kentucky and Ray Black & Son, led U.S. Representative James Comer of Kentucky on a tour of the $26.2 million construction of the Paducah Innovation Hub. The facility will house several traditional technical center classes including carpentry, welding, and electricity as well as classes in computer-aided design, engineering, and robotics. During the tour, the group spoke about the workforce shortages facing the construction industry and how facilities like the Paducah Innovation Hub will help address these concerns. Specifically, the group noted a 2019 �ԹϺ����� of America survey that found 85 percent of contractors in Kentucky are having “a hard time filling some or all positions.” During the visit �ԹϺ����� urged Rep. Comer to utilize his role on the House Education and Labor Committee to advocate for increased career and technical education funding. The visit was covered by both the Paducah Sun and West Kentucky Star.

On Jan. 31, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OSD) released the final version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). The Department of Defense (DOD) will begin including the final CMMC model as “go/no go” in all new solicitations starting in late summer/early fall of 2020. On the same day, defense officials held a news conference discussing the final version of CMMC. For further information on this, click “learn more.”