Career fair series, campaign to promote opportunities for Boston residents in construction announced

Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, and the 20 affiliate unions of the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions today announced their first-ever virtual career fair on Tuesday, December 15 at 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.. The virtual career fair will be the first in a series of virtual events that the coordinating groups are planning in order to promote great careers available to Boston residents in the local construction industry. No prior construction experience is required to attend. Participants can register online for the December 15 fair at: https://constructioncareerfair.eventbrite.com. The next virtual career fair is expected to take place in Spring 2021.

"As we continue to tackle the ongoing challenges brought on by COVID-19, the need has never been greater to create pathways to success by connecting residents with well-paying and fair job opportunities," said Mayor Walsh. "I'm proud to launch this career fair series in partnership with the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions, and I encourage all interested residents to attend no matter your experience in the construction industry. 

This City Hall Construction Career Fair will focus on employment opportunities in the current  City Hall Plaza renovation project. In addition, it will supplement a number of ongoing recruitment efforts aimed at attracting Boston residents, women, and people of color to the industry, such as Building Pathways, Build a Life that Works, Tradeswomen Tuesdays, among others, all of whom will have representatives and recruiters at the career fair.  

The virtual event will provide attendees with the ability to meet one-on-one and in groups with recruitment and training officials from the area's leading construction unions as well as contractors currently working on the renovation of City Hall Plaza. When attendees enter the virtual event they will be able to click on virtual "tables" and meeting rooms to convene with those officials in order to discuss career opportunities, including free registered apprenticeship programs.

"Union construction jobs in Boston are fantastic -- top of the line training, great pay, benefits, you name it. The problem is, historically, they haven't been available to everyone," said Travis Watson, Chair of the Boston Employment Commission (BEC). "This intentional effort by Mayor Walsh in partnership with the Boston Building Trades to simplify the process of joining a construction union is a significant step toward a more racially equitable industry."

"I'm excited to help get the word out about these great union careers," said Dominique Cave, Boston Resident, Building Pathways Graduate, member of Plumbers Local 12. "I first learned about construction through Building Pathways and now I'm working as a union plumber. I'm learning the skills that will help me build our skyline, our community, and my future. I'm proud to be an example to other women that these careers can be a great fit for them too."

The event will also coincide with the launch of a multi-media campaign and new website from the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions that also aims to raise awareness about career opportunities in the Greater Boston construction industry. That campaign, entitled "Build a Bright Future", will include multimedia and multilingual advertising blitz that includes the launch of television, billboard, social media, and radio ads.

"A career with the building trades unions provides fair wages, excellent healthcare, and a dignified retirement, while learning the skills in the most comprehensive and sophisticated training programs in the world," said Brian Doherty, General Agent of the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions. "There are two important and related parts of our mission in the Building Trades Unions: to ensure every construction job is a good job, and to ensure that everyone has access to them."

Attendees are urged to join the virtual career fair and to visit BuildABrightFuture.org to learn more about rewarding careers in the Building Trades Unions - including excellent training, fair wages, and leading health and retirement benefits.

"We are being intentional about expanding access and opportunity to rewarding union careers," said Doherty. "This is all part of our efforts to make this information as widely available as possible, so people will see it and take advantage of it. We will be promoting this information through a wide range of digital platforms to spread the word." 

The City of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, the building trades unions, and their partner union contractors, have all worked together to implement the highest safety standards with regard to COVID-19. This virtual event is in the spirit of that joint work to continue creating opportunity and economic prosperity safely through this key industry for as many Boston residents as possible.

WHEN: Tuesday, December 15, 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. 

WHERE: Register here https://constructioncareerfair.eventbrite.com or visit BuildABrightFuture.org to learn more. The virtual career fair will be using the Remo live video platform. A link and instructions on how to access the career fair will be provided to all who RSVP through this link: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-hall-construction-career-fair-tickets-131153304063. 

WHO:  

• Mayor's Office of Economic Development

• Boston Public Facilities

• Greater Boston Building Trades Unions

• Building Pathways

• Build a Life that Works

• Northeast Center for Tradeswomen's Equity

• Youth Build

• Shawmut Design and Construction

About the Mayor's Office Of Economic Development

The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shared prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors. 

About the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions

The Greater Boston Building Trades Unions represent 35,000 working families throughout the Greater Boston region. Together, we advance social and economic justice by providing family-supporting wages, healthcare benefits, and dignified retirement benefits to workers and their families. We are an umbrella group of 20 local construction unions, in partnership with more than 3,300 union contractors, that provide the highest standards for workers in the construction industry. Through collective bargaining and the Labor-Management partnership, workers achieve the highest levels of training, safety, and economic security throughout their careers. The Council strives to create a more fair and just environment for all workers in the construction industry.