Declare Construction Careers Month

Senate Resolution No. 2959 BY: Senator BOYLE MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 2017, as Careers in Construction Month in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor the construction craft professionals and the critical role they play in the development of the State of New York; these talented and hard-working men and women are an asset beyond remuneration and cannot be sufficiently extolled; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 2017, as Careers in Construction Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Careers in Construction Month; and WHEREAS, Careers in Construction Month has been established to raise public awareness and appreciation of construction craft professionals and the entire construction workforce; and WHEREAS, During the month of October 2017, employers, associations and schools are encouraged to conduct job fairs, panel discussions, and local community events to inform students of the vast employment opportunities in construction; and WHEREAS, The construction sector stands out as an industry where smaller businesses provide a large share of total payrolls; construction firms with fewer than 500 employees employed more than 283,000 workers with total payroll of $17.2 billion; and WHEREAS, Smaller companies represented more than 85% of total construction employment and total construction payroll in New York State; and WHEREAS, The Merit Apprenticeship Alliance is a consortium of nearly

70 statewide quality-driven, open shop building and highway contractors who promote careers in construction through New York State registered apprenticeship programs; and WHEREAS, The Alliance is a proud supporter of The National Center of Construction, Education, and Research (NCCER), a nonprofit education foundation created in 1996; it was developed with the support of more than 125 construction CEOs and academic leaders who united to revolutionize the construction industry; and WHEREAS, This vital organization's Build Your Future Campaign, established in 1997, strives to narrow the skills gap by guiding America's youth and displaced workers into opportunities which lead to long-term rewarding careers in construction; and WHEREAS, The goal of Build Your Future Campaign is to recruit the next generation of craft professionals by making career and technical education a priority in secondary schools, shifting negative public perceptions about careers in construction and providing a path from ambition, to job training, to job placement as a craft professional; and WHEREAS, The construction industry is one of our nation's largest industries, employing more than five million individuals in the United States; by the year 2018 it is estimated that the construction industry will need two million new craft professionals; and WHEREAS, The construction industry hopes that Careers in Construction Month will help raise awareness to support the goals of the Build Your Future Campaign, and recruit and retain skilled construction workers to fulfill the need for the industry's future workforce requirements; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 2017, as Careers in Construction Month in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York.