The African-American workforce in the San Diego area has long been underrepresented in the construction of large public works projects. Two groups of contractors have reached an agreement to help boost those numbers.
The National Black Contractors Association and the local chapter of the Associated General Contractors Association signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Tuesday morning to expand training programs so that more African-American applicants can have greater access to business opportunities in construction.
According to the article, this is a “huge step in the right direction” and will more than double the number of carpentry apprenticeship positions.
Associated General Contractors counts some 1,100 union and non-union workers in its San Diego membership, according to the report. Members are involved in constructing about everything except single-family homes.
The two organizations have previously been in discussions about forming a partnership, but the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and its succeeding wave of protests provided a urgency to the announcement.