More than 18,400 workers from the U.S. Department of Transportation have been furloughed because of the budget battles on Capitol Hill. The shutdown has deeply impacted transportation construction projects around the country. At a press conference this week, Pete Ruane, president of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, said the shutdown will…(Read More)
The government shutdown prevented the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from releasing its monthly job report. But reporter Kathleen Madigan at The Wall Street Journal gathered data from several sources that released their own assessment. “The job index for non-manufacturers–mainly service providers but also the construction and public administration sectors–was unexpectedly…(Read More)
Coordinating and supporting various steps in complex construction projects is no easy task. Some of the top academic programs are based at Brigham Young University at Provo, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, and the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The list of schools was compiled by the National Center for Educational Statistics. “One…(Read More)
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are mulling a bill that would bring right-to-work laws to the Commonwealth. If passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, the measure would give individual employees in a unionized workplace the right not to join or financially support the union. “Twenty four states, plus Guam, have passed right…(Read More)
It’s not your typical personality assessment that’s done when screening talent. However, determining if your company’s personality (culture) is a good fit with a prospective client is critical. “One major reason people are in construction is because they like working with people in the industry,” writes reporter Tom Armistead on ConstructionExec.com…(Read More)
As the economy creeps out of the recession, hiring managers at construction companies are refocusing their efforts on hiring and onboarding. Digital applications, online job boards, and quirky interview questions have pushed aside paper résumés, classified ads, and dull, scripted interviews. A post on BusinessManagementDaily.com explains that employers now put more credence…(Read More)
Several real estate researchers met this week to reveal a trend in Atlanta that’s a strong indicator of new building patterns in the U.S. Have we reached peak sprawl? “That new construction has taken place on less than 1 percent of the metropolitan Atlanta region’s land mass, suggesting a shift in real…(Read More)
Construction companies and other employers waiting for clarity on the Affordable Care Act may have to wait a bit longer than anticipated. Help could be delayed because of the shutdown of the federal government. Employee benefits attorney Paul Hamburger at Proskauer says businesses that need guidance on specific mandates from the Department of Labor and…(Read More)
“Minecraft extends kids’ spatial reasoning skills, construction skills, and understanding of planning,” said Eric Klopfer, a professor and the director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Scheller Teacher Education Program. “In many ways, it’s like a digital version of Lego.” Some youngsters in Europe are required to use Minecraft to learn about building…(Read More)
Is it possible that an airline CEO, a magazine editor, and the president of a movie theater chain have decided to reveal their ‘secret sauce’ when hiring? The execs say they look at a variety of attributes, including kindness and diverse perspectives. One gem in this post: Sallie Krawcheck, former head of Merrill Lynch and…(Read More)
