Sally Hoekstra, Construction Executive
The construction industry is evolving, and so is its workforce. Thirty years ago, women made up less than 10% of STEM graduates, a figure that now hovers around 30%. With the number of women earning degrees and pursuing careers in the fields of architecture, engineering and construction increasing every year, the industry is poised to tap into its largest and most diverse talent pool to date.
More than 150 CEA members and guests gathered at the Hill ‘n Dale Club in Medina and raised $50,000 in support of Cleveland Builds Thursday, May 6th. This clay-shooting event was conceived of by Brian Exl, who is the Cleveland General Manager for OCP Contractors, and Tim Linville. OCP also served as the presenting sponsor for the event. The success of this event was due to all sponsors and CEA staff, especially CEA’s Coordinator of Education&nb
Zachary Phillips, Construction Dive
For years, Jaime Rivera faced obstacles to stable work opportunities as a result of his criminal record. A recent graduate of the Rebuilding Reentrants & Reading program, Rivera (above right) said he was grateful for a second chance.
The Northeast Ohio Region may have cause for renewed optimism. Recent calculations by Team NEO, based on March 2021 annualized national and local projections from Moody’s Analytics, indicate improvements over previous projections.
Specifically, in 2021:
The Construction Employers Association (CEA) and Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council (CBCTC) collaborated with Team NEO to report on the construction industry, including trends for the decade 2009 – 2019 as well as projections post-pandemic through 2025.
In Ohio, officials closely involved with the union trades are seeing signs of a somewhat positive outlook for 2021, anchored by a number of large projects.
In greater Cleveland, Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary Dave Wondolowski said work for his members was steady in 2020, as construction wrapped up on a couple of larger projects including Church + State and the Euclid Grand.
Since 2017, The Latino Construction Program has enrolled about 150 people and moved 75 into the union jobs such as carpentry, electrical, plumbing, brick-laying and more.
The shortage of labor is a major problem for the construction and skilled trades industry. But, two organizations have come together in an attempt to create a solution.
Work NOW is a program created through a partnership between The Urban League of Greater Cleveland’s SOAR program and Construction Employers Association (CEA). It seeks to create a sustained workforce through employee and employer partnerships.
