Raimondo Launches RI Construction Worker Training Initiative

A new initiative in Rhode Island is aimed at increasing construction jobs in the state. On Monday, Governor Gina Raimondo and other state officials gathered to announce the program, which is a partnerships of several government organizations.

"Thanks to major investments we’ve made to repair our crumbling infrastructure and school buildings, Rhode Island’s commercial construction workforce is growing at an unprecedented rate," Raimondo said. "Our new initiative with Real Jobs Rhode Island will create a pipeline of skilled Rhode Island workers to fill the good, family-supporting jobs we’re creating. This announcement represents the best of what can happen when the private and public sectors come together."

The initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), the Associated General Contractors of Rhode Island, Construction Industries of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades. Over the next few months, the DLT will begin developing a plan to address employer demands and to effectively train new commercial construction workers through Real Jobs RI.

Rhode Island is experiencing a construction boom, with employment in the sector up by 20 percent since the recession.

"In order to meet Rhode Island's infrastructure, economic, and environmental needs now and in the future, we need a strong construction industry and that means investing in people, education and training, and growing Rhode Island's construction trades," U.S. Senator Jack Reed said. "The demand for commercial construction will continue to increase, and with it, wage and employment growth. So, we need to ensure we have a pipeline of skilled labor and a motivated workforce that can keep pace with demand and evolving trends."

The Rhode Island government projects that construction jobs will increase by nearly 14 percent by 2026, creating a need for 26,000 new skilled workers. The new initiative was launched to help meet that need with Rhode Island workers.

"Governor Raimondo understands that encouraging young adults to pursue careers in construction is the best to ensure more Rhode Islanders have long-term career opportunities with meaningful pay and benefits," said Stephen E. Sander, the CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America. "We have long-advocated for new measures to develop the next generation of construction craft professionals, and today’s announcement means that more people in the Ocean State will be enjoying a more prosperous, satisfying and comfortable future."