careers

Associated Builders and Contractors of Houston: On a Mission For Merit Shop, Free Enterprise Principles


Members of the Greater Houston chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) met Friday to learn from a panel of construction leaders how the industry has evolved over the years and discuss free enterprise challenges that lie ahead for the merit-shop construction industry regarding labor unions, regulations, PLAs, workforce shortages, worker misclassification, and immigration policy.

Mike Holland on the Skilled Labor Shortage

In the October 2018 issue of Construction Dimensions, the national publication of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI), Mike Holland, COO of Houston-based MAREK and one of our authors, was quoted along with a group of national specialty contractors about the causes and possible solutions to the ongoing skilled labor shortages in the industry. The article, titled THE LABOR SHORTAGE: NUISANCE OR CATASTROPHE? was written by California-based Ulf Wolf who is the senior writer at Words & Images.

Keith McCray: My Life As a Leadman


In partnership with MAREK, UpSkill Houston created the video below, “What are you up for,” featuring Keith McCray, MAREK Leadman. The goal of this campaign is to help break down barriers, foster open dialogue, and create a singular vision to power solutions that prepare Houston’s workforce for good-paying middle-skill jobs in high demand industries across the region.

How ABC Members Are Working Together to Include Women on the Jobsite

There are many challenges in the construction industry, but one of the largest is the availability of craft-worker manpower. According to The National Association of Women in Construction, women only comprise nine percent of the total craft-worker workforce, so construction companies could see a huge boost in their recruitment efforts by targeting female candidates.

A Sustainable Workforce Starts With Combining Passive and Active Learning to Create Competency: C3.Is.How

The goal of all craft training is to build new knowledge, skills and abilities in our craft workforce. The best way to ensure this happens is to build programs that include both passive and active forms of learning activities. Passive learning occurs during lectures, videos, readings, and demonstrations. The learner is engaged with the content but only in a passive manner through observation. Passive instruction is a good way to deliver knowledge but doesn’t work on building skill or ability. Active learning, designed to build skill and competency, includes learning activities like group discussions, practice by doing, immediate use in real world simulation or application, and through the teaching of others.
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