The new grant program is called The Equal Opportunity in the Construction Trades Grant program. It's goal is to promote more women and minorities in the construction industry by providing funding to non-profit organizations, apprenticeship programs, labor unions, and vocational schools to conduct worker training and outreach programs.
The construction industry still remains a largely male-dominated industry. The new grant program is intended to increase diversity and career opportunities for women, who now hold only 2.6 percent of all construction jobs nationwide. Only 206,000 employees in the construction industry are women, compared to more than 7.6 million men, according to a report by the National Women’s Law Center.
The one-year grant program that will run through May 31, 2018
Greg Beeman, President of the Massachusetts Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, explained the importance of the grant funding. “This funding will help woman and minorities enter an industry that offers meaningful, long-term careers and good, family-supporting wages.” The more funding that is offered to organizations directly involved in construction training and apprenticeship programs for women, the more opportunities will result for women to enter this field.
To read more details about the grant program, visit www.mass.gov/ago/about-the-ago/ago-grants/equal-opportunity-in-construction-trades-grant.html
Read more at www.therainbowtimesmass.com/ag-healey-awards-grants-expand-opportunity-women-minority-workers-construction-industry/
