ABC’s Alabama Chapter’s donations and lobbying efforts were integral to passing legislation establishing the Alabama Construction Recruitment Institute (ACRI), part of the Alabama Workforce Development Initiative (AWDI). ACRI aims to enhance the image of skilled construction workers and provide recruitment and training opportunities throughout Alabama.
ACRI will provide state-wide construction craft training programs at two-year colleges, non-union training centers, and union facilities. All of these programs will use the National Center for Construction Education and Research curriculum.
ABC Alabama’s Executive Vice President Jeff Masters was elected as the first President of ACRI and will oversee its implementation and function. This program is funded by a minimal tax designed to provide at least $1.75 million per year to fund the program.
“This constant source of funding pretty much guarantees the success of the program,” said Masters.
“We can all agree that the construction industry is facing a huge labor shortage, and a non-partisan approach to solving this problem is crucial,” said Masters. “ACRI will encourage the growth of the skilled labor workforce. This will benefit all three ABC chapters located in Alabama, and will be pivotal to moving our industry forward.”
ABC National also donated $100,000 to the AWDI, to help fund the pilot program, Choose Workforce Initiative pilot program, which was modeled after the Gulf Rebuild: Education Advancement and Training (GREAT) program that successfully trained 20,000 workers.
For more information on ACRI or workforce development programs, contact Jeff Masters at
jeff@abc-alabama.org.