The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced plans Nov. 17 to create a new program that will offer mentorship and grants of up to $400,000 to teams of first-time entrepreneurs. The New Jersey Innovation Fellows (NJIF), which was approved this week by the NJEDA’s board, will also provide income replacement so that participating entrepreneurs can go…Read More…

(Camden, NJ) – On Monday, the Board of Commissioners joined Congressman Donald Norcross Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen and community members to unveil a $36.5 million federally funded infrastructure project. The project is being funded by $25 million federal infrastructure grant combined with about $11 million of state Department of Transportation grant funds. The project will…Read More…

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit available to employers for hiring and employing individuals from certain targeted groups who have faced significant barriers to employment. WOTC joins other workforce programs that incentivize workplace diversity and facilitate access to good jobs for American workers. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Section 113 of Division…Read More…

The construction industry in the United States is undergoing a once-in-a-lifetime transformation with the passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It will create more than 700,000 new jobs of which 175,000 will be in the construction business, according to the Biden administration. This is an exceptional moment of growth and opportunity…Read More…

The Township of Parsippany is actively taking steps to ensure that construction projects in the community are supporting local workers and providing the best return on investment for taxpayers. They are doing this using Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). PLAs are transparent, agreed upon contracts that provide stability and structure on large scale construction projects. A…Read More…

Philadelphia native Quinzel Washington, 27, fell in love with construction as a child. But when he was ready to enter the working world, he found that joining the field isn’t as easy as walking up to a construction company and getting a job. During his search for employment, Washington saw that Eastern State Penitentiary’s Masonry Academy was…Read More…

A coalition of contractors, developers, labor, trade groups and corporations, have launched an initiative called “Everybody Builds,” to improve the diversity of workers in the city’s construction industry. It marks the first time such a group has come together to work towards a goal of diversifying an industry that activists have criticized and protested against…Read More…

Dear Editor: When you’re driving by a construction site, do you ever wonder how all those moving parts meld together in an organized and coherent effort? How do all those construction workers seem to approach the task with a single-mindedness that later results in a grand new structure?  On a well-run project, the secret is…Read More…

The construction industry has a long way to go when it comes to creating a more diverse workforce. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2021, 87.9% of construction workers identified as White. In order to attract more people of color, the industry needs to take concrete steps to ensure it is creating…Read More…

September 2, 2022 WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a final rule amending the Federal Management Regulation to enable access to GSA-controlled facilities by union organizers to educate employees of private sector government contractors working in these facilities about the benefits of organizing, collective bargaining, and union membership. This rule is the latest in the…Read More…