| OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program |
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| Web Brief (Oct 07) |
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Major Projects Branch Mgr. Tom Lauer (r) accepts the award
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ODOT wins national diversity award for workforce development
The American Public Works Association honors ODOT’s Workforce Development Plan with the 2007 Diversity Exemplary Practices Award
Once more, ODOT recognized a challenge as an opportunity, and the agency’s innovation bettered Oregon’s economy and further developed its workforce. Oh, and did we mention ODOT won a national award for it?
This September, APWA presented ODOT with its Diversity Exemplary Practices Award during the 2007 Public Works Congress & Exposition in San Antonio. The award recognizes ODOT’s Workforce Development Plan as a valuable contribution to the promotion of diversity through a public works project. ODOT Major Projects Branch Manager Tom Lauer accepted the award on the agency’s behalf.
“It was a pleasure to recognize ODOT with this award for making a difference in our community in the public works industry,” said APWA President Larry Frevert.
With OTIA III funding came legislative direction for ODOT to outsource the work on Oregon’s highway bridges, thereby improving the state’s economy through job creation and expanded opportunities for all Oregonians.
Not an easy task, considering a 10-year projection of Oregon’s construction industry indicated that approximately 14,000 new skilled construction workers would be needed to fill openings created by job growth and retirements. ODOT’s solution to the workforce shortage was its Workforce Development Plan, designed not only to help Oregonians sustain long-term careers in the highway construction trades, but also to build diversity in the labor pool.
The plan taps into existing workforce development systems and resources to qualify and train candidates, especially women and minorities, who are ready for skilled jobs in federally funded and federally assisted transportation construction projects.
The APWA award recognizes ODOT’s successfully implementing the plan by establishing a qualified construction workforce pool and a statewide system of regional workforce alliances. ODOT developed the plan in partnership with stakeholders representing many diverse organizations. They continue to help ODOT develop and implement the plan and build the workforce pool.
“This program is giving more people greater access to family-wage jobs, and the trained workers in ODOT’s labor pool can work on all construction projects, so contractors statewide can benefit from a source of qualified employees,” said Lauer. “In the end, for ODOT and Oregon, it’s a win-win.”
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