Raimondo Announces New Commercial Construction Workforce Initiative
GoLocalProv Business Team
Raimondo Announces New Commercial Construction Workforce Initiative
The announcement comes less than a week after Rhode Island was ranked as the worst state in the country for business by CNBC, as GoLocalProv reported.
“Thanks to major investments we’ve made to repair our crumbling infrastructure and school buildings, Rhode Island’s commercial construction workforce is growing at an unprecedented rate. Our new initiative with Real Jobs Rhode Island will create a pipeline of skilled Rhode Island workers to fill the good, family-supporting jobs we’re creating. This announcement represents the best of what can happen when the private and public sectors come together,” said Raimondo.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRaimondo was joined in the announcement representatives of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), the Associated General Contractors of Rhode Island, Construction Industries of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades.
“Governor Raimondo has brought real vision and focus to reimagining workforce development in our state, and this partnership will further her administration’s efforts to put Rhode Islanders back to work and prepared to meet the challenges of today’s economy,” said Scott Duhamel, Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council.
The New Initiative
By 2026, it is projected that construction jobs in the state will increase by 13.8%, with employers needing to fill 26,000 jobs.
According to Raimondo’s press release, the new initiative will not only meet the demand of the commercial construction industry, but will ensure that Rhode Islanders have the skills they need to fill these high-wage, high-demand jobs of the 21st-century.
The Rhode Island DLT will meet with stakeholders to identify employer demand and determine the best course of action for training commercial construction workers through Real Jobs RI over the next couple of months.
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