August 27 2007 - Business Roundtable's Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative (GCWDI)
today announced that it is ahead of schedule in its effort to recruit and train up to 20,000 new construction workers
in the Gulf Coast region by the end of 2009. The program provides critically needed new construction workers in the
Gulf Coast and empowers the region's workforce with new educational opportunities and career paths.
"Just over a year into our ambitious program, we already have over 7,500 training completions, with
another 2,000 students enrolled in classes," said Charles O. Holliday, Jr., chairman and CEO of DuPont, and
co-chairman of the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative. "Residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas have
embraced our free classes, demonstrating the vitality of the region and the residents' fierce desire to rebuild.
We're so encouraged by the success thus far that we hope to step up recruiting efforts and expand into Alabama as
well."
The GCWDI was conceived and developed by Business Roundtable in response to the devastating storms
that ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States in late 2005. Members of Business Roundtable, 160 CEOs of the
nation's leading companies, have spearheaded this public-private partnership by committing up to $5 million in
funding to coordinate the training and assist in recruiting participants.
"This unique initiative is bringing together numerous government agencies, community and trade
organizations, academic institutions and the business community to give up to 20,000 people the skills needed for
rewarding, long-term careers in construction," said Riley Bechtel, chairman and CEO of the Bechtel Group, Inc. and
co-chairman of the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative. "The graduates are already becoming strong
contributors to the Gulf Coast's rebuilding efforts and infrastructure development projects."
Participants enroll in free training that provides them with the necessary skills for entry-level
jobs in the construction industry. Training is provided through partnerships with local community and technical
colleges and with critical funding on both the federal and state levels. Upon completion of the coursework,
graduates have the opportunity to participate in job fairs hosted at their training center. These job fairs provide
trainees with an opportunity to be introduced to local contractors who are looking to hire additional construction
workers.
The GCWDI recruits students through the "I'm GREAT" campaign. "GREAT," which stands for "Get Rewarded
for Education and Advancement Training," has helped bolster residents' sense of self-worth through participation in
the construction industry, drawing widespread praise from political leaders in the region.
Contributors to the Initiative include: A.O. Smith Corporation; Accenture Ltd.; Air Products and
Chemicals, Inc.; American Express Company; American International Group, Inc.; Bechtel Group, Inc.;
Business Roundtable; Chevron Corporation; The Dow Chemical Company; Duke Energy Corporation; DuPont; Exxon Mobil
Corporation; FedEx Corporation; Fisher Scientific International Inc.; General Electric Company; McKesson Corporation;
National Center for Construction Education and Research; National Gypsum Company; National Roofing Contractors
Association; PB Foundation; Pfizer Inc.; The Shaw Group Inc.; Washington Group International, Inc.; and Xerox
Corporation.
In addition, GCWDI has partnered with the American Association of Community Colleges; Associated
Builders and Contractors, Inc.; Associated General Contractors; Building and Construction Trades Department,
AFL-CIO; Construction and Maintenance Education Fund; Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance; Greater New Orleans,
Inc.; Home Builders Institute; Houston Business Roundtable; Houston Community College System; Louisiana Community
and Technical College System; Louisiana Department of Labor; Louisiana Recovery Authority; Louisiana Workforce
Commission; Mississippi Board for Community and Junior Colleges; Mississippi Construction Education Foundation;
Mississippi Department of Employment Security; Mississippi Governor's Office; National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People; Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding; and U.S. Department of
Labor.
In addition to the GCWDI, Business Roundtable supported the region following Hurricane Katrina
through the Partnership for Disaster Response, which brings together the resources and capabilities of the private
sector to enhance and accelerate on-the-ground relief and recovery following major natural disasters. As soon as
Katrina struck, the Partnership facilitated communications about critical on-the-ground needs and collected member
contributions of more than $360 million in cash and in-kind donations of supplies, equipment and services.
The Get Rewarded for Education and Advancement Training, or GREAT campaign, is sponsored by the
Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative, a partnership of federal, state and local government agencies,
businesses, community organizations and construction trade groups and associations, working together to recruit and
train up to 20,000 skilled construction craft workers for the Gulf Coast region by the end of 2009. The GREAT
campaign is primarily funded by members of Business Roundtable, an association of 160 CEOs of leading U.S. companies.
For more information please visit our website, www.imgreat.org.
The Partnership for Disaster Response works to enhance the efficiency of the private sector's
disaster response; to foster public-private collaborations; to prepare for the health, social and economic burdens
that disasters can create; and to ensure that the business community's response efforts address the most critical
needs and mobilize the unique technologies and resources of member companies. For more information, please visit
www.respondtodisaster.com.
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