Accountability is key goal
By Alvin A. Reid Of the St. Louis American
A local program designed to create more access into the region’s construction trades has spawned a national effort.
In 2003, Metro and MOKAN signed a memorandum of understanding to address the lack of minority inclusion in the construction industry. A plan to take on the problem included establishing ACCESS (Association for Construction Careers, Education and Support Services).
It uses data, policies, education and advocacy to monitor and measure minority workforce and business development in construction.
A new national clearinghouse pattern after the St. Louis initiative called ACCESS for America has been created. Its president says its board will be diverse and its mission is the development of minority trades workers.
F. Anthony Santiago, MBA, who is the co-founder, president and CEO of ACCESS for America, says he started this organization with all his own money, time, energy and passion.
“Collaboration creates synergy, leverages limited financial resources among organizations working to address minority inclusion, and eliminates program duplication and silo dialogues,” he said.
“In addition, by regularly measuring qualitative and quantitative progress, we will be able to hold those involved, such as construction organizations, unions, corporations and certification agencies, accountable for improving its workforce and M/W/DBE participation numbers.”
AFA will gather and analyze local, state and national inclusion data to measure progress and “to hold those involved accountable for producing positive results,” according to Santiago.
“(AFA) will also support program collaboration, capacity building and career awareness.”
Glenn Harris, ACCESS St. Louis director, said the local program “is the pilot for the nation, the hub for all future offices in other states.”
“We’re going to all 50 states,” he said.
“We will show them how we work together and how we track numbers. We can do it by race, gender, ZIP code, whatever is needed. It has never been done before.”
Harris said the national effort was generated by local ACCESS’ success at “holding people accountable.”
“Some people say, ‘We couldn’t find any minority workers.’ But we’ve got them trained and in the pipeline and ready to go,” Harris said.
“If someone needs minority workers and they come to us, we can say, ‘How many do you need?’”
America needs a lot and will need more in the future.
The federal government estimates that the construction industry will need to recruit and train 245,900 new workers each year to meet labor demand.
While there have been many initiatives and millions of dollars spent on increasing minority inclusion in construction, “they have not yielded the desired return on investment,” Harris said.
But the effort continues, and it included ACCESS St. Louis’ Construction Career Day on Wednesday at ACCESS Center on the Washington University North campus.
The annual career day provided students with the opportunity to work with construction tools and equipment, under qualified supervision, while getting information on careers in construction which can help them with their career choices.
More than 20 contractors, suppliers, business owners, academic institutions and labor organizations were on hand to provide equipment and volunteers to work with students as the students try their hands at various tools and equipment represented by different construction trades and professions.