Construction Inclusion Week

AGC of America Rolls Out D&I Week Toolbox Talks

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By KERRY L. SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

The Associated General Contractors of America have initiated a series of toolbox talks on the topic of diversity and inclusion on project sites across the nation.

The programs are part of Construction Inclusion Week. Shea De Lutis, a national office for the AGC of America, says the topic is among the organization’s top priorities.

“Our nation’s workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, and if we can’t find a way to become equally diverse, we won’t be able to keep pace with demand for construction,” De Lutis said.

Construction Inclusion Week began in 2020 as an industry-led initiative that has been promoted ever since by the AGC’s leadership and overall membership. “Thousands of our members are holding diversity and inclusion education sessions, toolbox talks and stand-downs over the coming week as part of this effort,” she added, noting that while women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, they comprise only 11 percent of the construction industry – and while blacks make up 13 percent of the total U.S. workforce, they comprise only 7 percent of the construction industry.

For more information about how the AGC of America continues to support Construction Inclusion Week, see https://www.constructioninclusionweek.com/.

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McCarthy Invites High School Girls this Saturday to Construction Inclusion Week Event

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE

Getting a jump on Construction Inclusion Week which takes place nationwide Oct. 16-20, McCarthy Building Companies is hosting a hands-on introduction to a career in construction for high school girls.

The one-day program, this Saturday, Oct. 7 at Guarantee Electrical’s headquarters at 3405 Bent Avenue, is open to any high school-aged young women in the St. Louis region. The McCarthy Partnership for Women – a McCarthy mentorship initiative – will personally guide high school female students through various practical construction projects, helping them become familiar with specific skills and learning how to work as a team.

Saturday’s event from 8:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. comes a week before the industry’s third-annual Construction Inclusion Week, which harnesses the collective power of general contractors, specialty contractors, subcontractors and suppliers to celebrate diversity, foster inclusion and make equity more prominent in the construction industry – including attracting more women and minorities to careers in construction. As co-chair of the week for 2023, McCarthy anticipates that more than 4,000 U.S. firms will take part this year.

For more information on Construction Inclusion Week, see https://www.constructioninclusionweek.com/

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