On-the-Job Training/Supportive Services

On-the-Job Training/Supportive Services

Construction Academy Opportunities

Construction is among the top industries in Arizona. The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) 2015 Economic Impact of Construction report identified 11,400 construction firms in Arizona, 88% of which were small businesses with less than 20 employees. The AGC report further indicated that construction worker’s pay in Arizona averaged $49,400 per year, 4% more than all private sector employees in the state. Working in the construction industry is a viable way to make a living in Arizona.

While the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) suggests construction is projected to have the highest growth rate among occupations, in many parts of the nation, including Arizona, minorities, women, veterans and disadvantaged individuals are under-represented in the industry. According to USBLS the construction industry is composed of 5.9 percent Black or African American, 8.9 percent women, 1.8 percent Asian, 27.3 percent Hispanic and 56.1 percent White. Many barriers prohibit under-represented populations’ entry into construction trades. Some of the noted barriers include a limited understanding of the construction career options, driver’s license suspensions or revocations, the inability to pass apprenticeship entrance exams, academic deficiencies in math and science, financial barriers, the lack of reliable transportation and childcare, insufficient job readiness and interviewing skills, and the limited number of long-term employment opportunities.

Since 1971, the US Federal Highway Administration On-the-Job Training program has required state transportation agencies to establish apprenticeship and training programs that target under-represented segments of the U.S. workforce, including minorities, women and disadvantaged individuals. OJT Supportive Services programs enhance both training and retention in construction crafts. Repairing and expanding the nation’s infrastructure (roads, bridges and water lines) requires a steady demand for construction laborers.

 

What is the OJT program?

The OJT program was created to accelerate expansion of the pool of qualified women, minorities and disadvantaged persons in the highway-construction industry.

Participants in our Construction Academies can expect to gain working knowledge of:

  • Work readiness skills 
  • Flagger Certification 
  • OSHA 10 Certification

 

Questions about the existing program?

David Simmons

OJT/Workforce Supportive Services Manager

Business Engagement & Compliance Office

Arizona Department of Transportation

1801 W Jefferson St, Suite 101, Maildrop 154A

Phoenix, AZ 85007

[email protected]

(480) 364-0644 (Cell)