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Building Connections with the Next Generation is essential to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). FHWA is creating a new workforce pipeline in an increasingly competitive space, where attention is limited, and distractions are common. Reaching young adults and the future construction workforce takes everything we have in our toolkit: utilizing technology, apprenticeships, traditional outreach, mentorship, collaborative competitions and partnerships, and indirect methods with teachers, family, and friends. FHWA is educating future generations about the benefits of a career in the construction workforce through these channels by providing engaging materials that resonate with the younger generation and build bridges to mitigate generational gaps.
FHWA, State and local departments of transportation (DOTs), and Tribal communities are connecting with emerging talent and fostering relationships to create camaraderie that generates interest in the industry. Vocational training programs and apprenticeships are retooling to assess what works and where updates are required for teaching youth who may have shorter attention spans than previous generations. For example, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) works with middle and high schoolers with interactive labs, field trips, and guest speakers. The VTrans youth outreach program engages students with the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) program that encourages students by exploring the use of drones in construction, heavy machinery, visiting construction sites, and environmental sciences, all based on a curriculum rooted in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. More than 60 students graduated through the youth program and over 20 were hired as adults by VTrans.
Online platforms are increasingly critical to engaging with the newer generations and maintaining connections with construction industry veterans. FHWA is collecting and publishing a series of women in construction point of view videos highlighting the stories of successful individuals in the construction industry. Through their stories, FHWA seeks to amplify diverse perspectives and ensure that our community remains dynamic, innovative, and reflective of the world around us. Similarly, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) produced a series of video interviews covering career pathways, project highlights, and advice for the next generation of leaders in workforce development. Follow this link to view some of the videos ARTBA produced: https://www.artba.org/workforce/.
Mentoring, internships, and on-the-job training are instrumental initiatives in creating knowledge transfer, encouraging collaboration, and ensuring that wisdom gained over many years of cumulative work is handed down to the next generation. For example, in Alaska, the Fairbanks North Star School District has an agreement with union partners to lead an Introduction to the Trades program, which allows for recruiting students in the school district who are interested in the construction industry and allows union representatives to teach the class. See more about that program and others in the FHWA speaking points based on the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) 2022 National Construction Industry Workforce Summit.
Image Credit: USDOT/Getty.
New Additions to the SWD Toolkit
AGC Speaking Points
FHWA has compiled a list of speaking points from the AGC 2022 National Construction Industry Workforce Summit. The document details facts, figures, and key lessons learned from the success stories of member organizations and others in the construction industry and new strategies for developing the construction workforce pipeline that the AGC collected and shared with its members.
Women in Construction Article
The article explains the opportunities afforded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to State DOTs. The construction industry-wide workforce shortage allows contractors, unions, DOTs, and other construction-related businesses to invest in job initiatives that attract qualified and diverse candidates to the industry, focusing on qualified women candidates. Follow the link to read the full article: Building the Future - Federal Agencies Team up to Draw Women to Construction Jobs.
Women in Construction Videos
FHWA is producing videos of women in the construction industry telling their personal stories of how they started in the roadway construction industry. The first video in the series focuses on Genesis Tate who discusses her hands-on experience within the workforce development program she participated in, which helped her advance her career and grow professionally. The video is located here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z5n2QPs930&t.
Image Credit: FHWA.
Youth Service and Conservation Corps Article
The article details the experience of a community planner for the FHWA Office of Human Environment working with youth who learn, build, and work in the highway construction industry. Additionally, the viewpoint of private industry is also included, praising the involvement of young people in an industry and a community that is beneficial to them in building life skills and helping historically marginalized communities. To read the full article, click: Advancing the highway construction workforce through Youth Service and Conservation Corps.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Grant Updates
Grant Funds for Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems
In late June 2023, FHWA released a new initiative under the Technology and Innovation Deployment Program that includes the distribution of up to $34 million in grant funds to state DOTs this year to accelerate the use and deployment of Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems. Grant applications were due on August 28 and the program funding will continue through 2026. FHWA will issue a call for projects for FY 2024–2026. To view more information, click the link: FHWA Announces Plan to Distribute Grant Funds for Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems - Civil + Structural Engineer magazine.
U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Grant Opportunities:
USDOL announced the availability of $65 million in funding to increase community colleges’ ability to provide equitable access to training to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs for in-demand industries. USDOL will award initial grants of up to $1.75 million for single institutions and up to $5.75 million for consortium applicants. Using evidence-based strategies and other measures, a subset of colleges will participate in a planned impact evaluation to assess employment outcomes. USDOL will award additional funding to grantees chosen for the national impact evaluation, and they will have extra time to complete the grant project. Learn about and apply for Strengthening Community College Grants.
Federal Transportation Funding: Fiscal Year 2023 Discretionary Grant Preparation Checklist for Prospective Applicants
USDOT created a workforce and labor plan checklist that provides several suggestions for how to strengthen a State DOT’s program's provisions. USDOT has also published a report on Creating a Local Construction Workforce, with examples of local hiring practices. To see more resources and view the checklist, follow the link: Federal Transportation Funding: Fiscal Year 2023 Discretionary Grant Preparation Checklist for Prospective Applicants.
For More Information on Strategic Workforce Development
To learn how you can identify, train, place, and retain qualified individuals in highway construction jobs, contact Chrisy Currier at Christina.Currier@dot.gov.
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