Hiring managers should expect to see a growing interest in HB-1 visas next year. The visas, which allow non-citizen workers to meet certain criteria to work in the U.S., will become available through the federal government on April 1, 2014. Only 65,000 such credentials will be allocated, and demand is high…(Read More)
The recent International Risk Management Institute conference attracted plenty of heavy hitters in construction and allied industries. The keynote address, delivered by Rik Kunnath, executive chairman of the board at Pankow Contractors and Construction, admitted innovation is woefully inadequate. “For the U.S. building industry to remain competitive, especially with so much global competition coming…(Read More)
A growing number of states are partnering with private companies to build and maintain highways, prisons, water facilities, tunnels and even hospitals and schools. An article on the so-called ‘P3s’ has the latest on how states like Florida and Virginia are using this approach to get things done. Elaine Povitch, a staff writer for…(Read More)
Research from the U.S. Green Building Council has favorable results on environmental practices across the country. The LEED in Motion: Places and Policies report finds there are some 17, 400 certified commercial and institutional projects, representing 2.3 billion square feet in the U.S., and another 29,599 registered (pursuing LEED but not…(Read More)
Several jobs that made this list from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are construction-related. And what’s also noteworthy is these dangerous jobs don’t pay very much. For instance, roofers, construction laborers, and structural iron and steel workers all have high fatality rates due to falls. The pay in each of…(Read More)
Lean practices—recommendations aimed at eliminating waste from construction projects—must be implemented in order for companies to gain a competitive edge. This is the main finding in a report from McGraw Hill Construction on Lean. A company press release explains that 84 percent of Lean practitioners believe the efficiency guidelines bring higher quality projects…(Read More)
The nation’s governors have kicked off a series of regional summits on workforce training, but construction industry leaders are a bit puzzled. Chairperson of the National Governor’s Association, Gov. Mary Fallin (R-Oklahoma) has promised to improve workforce development partnerships, with an emphasis on secondary school credentials. However, Mike Glavin, senior manager for…(Read More)
Are hospitals and other healthcare facilities taking responsibility for environmental threats to construction workers? The ACE Advisory Group’s new report concludes it’s a critical step for healthcare organizations to ensure they have the appropriate pollution insurance coverage in place as part of their overall construction project strategy. The report, titled, Healthcare Construction: Managing…(Read More)
Good news on the technology front. Tablets and cloud services are helping contractors close the gap in work projects. McGraw Hill Construction surveyed 300 contractors and specialty contractors. Most said they are yielding investment benefits from using mobile technology, but respondents admit more can be done to improve efficiency. One area that needs improvement is…(Read More)
New research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a lopsided racial workforce that favors Caucasians over blacks and Hispanics. The BLS report finds that whites make up more than 80 percent of the U.S. workforce, including construction managers (92 percent), carpenters (91 percent), and CEOs (90 percent). “It’s stratified at…(Read More)
