By 2020, the Millennial generation will make up roughly 50% of the U.S. workforce, changing the way we do business and also the way we retain our best employees. Mix that with the fact that 65% of millennials say opportunity for personal development was the most influential factor in selecting their current job and it becomes obvious that we need to be engaging our young professionals and offering them ways to grow both personally and professionally within the association. 

Our craft instructors have a huge impact on how well-prepared the nation’s future construction workers are and their dedication to building a skilled workforce should not go unnoticed. To thank our instructors across the country for their hard work, ABC will award an instructor that teaches at an ABC Chapter, training affiliate or member company with $10,000 and the title of Craft Instructor of the Year.

FedEx, an ABC Business Partner, is giving our members a chance to win prizes including a trip to the 2015 Pro Bowl in Glendale, Az. When you enroll in the FedEx Advantage® discount program you’re automatically entered in the FedEx Advantage 2015 Pro Bowl Package sweepstakes. In addition, every eligible shipment you make counts as an additional sweepstakes entry, with a maximum of 50 additional entries. Members who are already enrolled in the program can register as well. 

National Safety Excellence Award (NSEA) applications are due Oct. 31 and can be downloaded on ABC’s website. All 2014 Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Diamond and Platinum recipients are eligible to apply and there is no fee to participate. New STEP Gold recipients may also apply for the NSEA by submitting the NSEA Gold application and $450 application fee. ABC members who do not have STEP status can learn more about STEP on ABC’s website. 

Next week, ABC contractors will be meeting with construction users from the industrial sector to discuss best practices on critical issues that affect the planning and delivery of construction projects. The second annual Industrial Users Summit will be held Oct. 16-17 in San Antonio, Texas, and will focus on creating a forum that allows both industry users and ABC member contractors to learn from each other. 

During the inaugural P3s for Public Buildings Summit Nov. 17-18 in Miami, Fla., the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP) and the Performance Based Building Coalition (PBBC) will team up to educate stakeholders about developing and financing  public-private partnerships (P3s) for public buildings,  understanding federal policy challenges and solutions, forecasting the future of the P3 marketplace and highlighting specific examples of successful P3 projects.

Beginning Feb. 1, 2015, 2009-2014 Autodesk licenses will no longer have the option to be upgraded and new licenses will have to be purchased in the future at full price. Through Autodesk’s new promotion, companies who currently have 2009-2014 licenses can save 10% off of the upgrade price until Oct. 24.  

An updated summary of employer requirements included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is available for ABC members in a reference document provided by Washington Council Ernst & Young. The document is available on the Health Care Law Employer Toolkit (login required) on ABC’s website.

On Oct. 7, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division issued a final rule to implement Executive Order 13658, which would establish an hourly minimum wage of $10.10 for workers performing on covered federal construction and service contracts. 

OSHA issued a final rule on September 26 extending the compliance deadline for employers to ensure that crane operators are certified by an OSHA-recognized accredited certification body. The deadline has been extended by three years to November 10, 2017. This extension will continue the current employer duties to ensure crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely.