Related Articles
Study: ABC Apprentice Programs Graduate Few, Overlook Minorities April 6, 2004 A Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), AFL-CIO, study has prompted two lawmakers to call for a formal investigation into construction apprenticeship programs run by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). U.S. Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) and Patricia Murray (D-Washington) have asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate graduation rates, duration of training and wage levels for apprentices during training and upon their graduations. The request came after the issue of the BCTD study, "Preliminary Report on Associated Builders and Contractors Apprenticeship Training: Flawed and Failing Initiatives," which uncovered failures in the standards and completion rates of nonunion apprenticeship programs sponsored by the nonunion contractors association. Based on those findings, BCTD President Edward C. Sullivan urged U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to halt the registration of new apprenticeship programs until the GAO investigation is completed. Sullivan said the Labor Departments oversight of the programs is "inadequate" and the problems threaten "the integrity of craft training in the construction industry." Skilled craftsmen are vital to the supply of quality workers, the safety of construction sites and the reliability of our nations offices, roads and homes. The BCTD report finds the average ABC apprenticeship program registers relatively few apprentices, produces more cancellations than graduations, enrolls only a small proportion of female and minority apprentices and provides training in a narrower range of crafts. By contrast, union apprenticeship programs enroll and graduate a substantial majority of all apprentices. Department of Labor records from 36 states show that union programs have enrolled 72 percent of all construction apprentices since 1989. In Kentucky, West Virginia, Washington, Pennsylvania, California, Hawaii and Massachusetts, union programs account for 69 to 97 percent of all construction apprentices. Click here to read the full study: www.bctd.org/training/ABCreport.html.
|
BCTD Apprenticeship and Training ABC ReportIBEW Members Stand With Striking CA Grocery Workers... December 16, 2003
Talks to Resume in Calif. Grocery Strike...
|
