Ditchmen • NUCA of Florida Ditchmen • August 2017 | Page 13
Construction Industry Workforce Task Force Update
At the behest of a few
members of the Construction
Coalition (including NUCA
FL), the 2016 Legislature
enacted the Construction
Industry Workforce Task
Force comprised of industry
stakeholders encompassing
every construction trade,
including underground utility
contractors, to address
the shortage of skilled
craftspeople in building
construction and inspection.
NUCA of Florida worked
diligently to pass additional
legislation in 2017 to direct
the Department of Education
and CareerSource Florida to
work with the task force and
the industry to address the
current and future needs for
education, career training
and workforce shortages.
Lawmakers Senator Travis
Hutson and Representative
Dane Eagle were appointed
to the taskforce in 2016-
17 and now Senator Keith
Perry and Representative Liz
Porter have filled the post
for 2017-18. Unfortunately,
Governor Scott vetoed
the $150K appropriation
advocated for by NUCA FL
that would have provided
funding for administration of
the task force in 2017-18 and
maintenance of the “Florida
Build Your Future” website
managed by NCCER.
Kim Bryan, Petticoat-Schmitt,
selflessly serves as the NUCA
of Florida appointee on the
task force and I recently
caught up with Kim to learn
more about the recent activity
with the task force. During
the August 10th Construction
Industry Workforce Task Force
meeting, the Department of
Corrections addressed the
attendees to discuss potential
partnerships for training and
employees upon release
from the prison system.
CareerSource Florida, the
Department of Economic
Opportunity and the
Department of Education gave
introductory presentations on
programs and opportunities
within their respective
agencies to address the
ever-growing construction
industry workforce demands.
Interestingly, CareerSource
Florida is pursuing a federal
grant aimed to assist with
apprenticeship programs.
At the heart of the meeting
was the introduction of
proposed legislative language
developed by Douglas Buck,
Director of Government
Affairs, Florida Home Builders
Association, that would
provide .25 percent of the
1.5 percent of the building
permit surcharge money
that funds the Building Code
Administrators & Inspectors
Board (BCAIB) and the Florida
Homeowners Construction
Recovery Fund to continue
the work of the task force.
Contractors currently pay the
building permit surcharge
and 1.5 percent funds BCAIB
and the Recovery Fund and
1.5 percent funds the Florida
Building Commission, the
Building a Safer Florida
Program ($925K) and the
non-binding interpretations
for the Florida Fire Marshals &
Inspectors Association ($15K).
The proposed legislation
would create a permanent
entity—Construction
Workforce Round Table
(CWRT)—funded by the .25
percent funneled through the
Rinker School of Construction.
The funds would be utilized
for:
• Administration of the CWRT;
• Research into construction
education issues;
• Advocacy of construction
employment at the K-12 grade
level;
• Maintenance of the Florida
Build Your Future website;
• Underwriting job fairs in
construction; and,
• Sponsorship of after-school
activities that focus on
construction careers.
Membership in the CWRT
would include the initial
membership of the
Construction Industry
Workforce Task Force, but
additional members could be
added.
The next meeting of the task
force is slated for September
14th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the
Florida Concrete & Products
Association building, 6353 Lee
Vista Blvd., Orlando, and may
be the last meeting prior to
the 2018 Legislative Session.
Be sure to thank NUCA of
Florida member Kim Bryan,
Petticoat-Schmitt for keeping
our industry-specific needs at
the forefront of the task force’s
agenda.
OF
By Kari Hebrank,
Executive Vice President
• • •
AUGUST 2017 • DITCHMEN
13