Research Center , is more racially and ethnically diverse than any that have come before it , it may not come as a surprise that some contractors are open about their plans to address diversity and inclusion .
Cincinnati-based Messer Construction funds diversity scholarships at a series of Midwestern universities including the University of Dayton and the University of Kentucky , among others . According to Nick Apanius , the company ’ s senior vice president in charge of HR and professional development operations , the scholarships are a way for Messer to give back to institutions it works with to cultivate diverse talent . The company is also working to expand its footprint with historically Black colleges and universities , said Isabel Perez , a recruiter at Messer .
A separate program , Messer ’ s Urban Workforce Development Initiative , seeks to build talent by looking at the same places in which the company builds . Working with local nonprofits , Messer ’ s website says the company provides participants free training , social support and the promise of a fulltime job upon completion of the training program .
The company ’ s diversity hiring goal for 2021 is 20 % across all positions , one that Apanius acknowledged Messer has not yet met . “ We ’ re working on it ,” he said of workforce D & I . “ Over the years , our economic development department has made some strides , but we still need significant work .”
Messer is not alone ; industry stakeholders across the board have launched similar outreach programs , though Crovella said he believes “ it will be a generation before we see those kinds of outreach being effective .”
Construction Dive Associate Editor Zachary Phillips contributed to this report .
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NOVEMBER 2021 • DITCHMEN 13