• Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • RSS
  • Sign In
  • My Account
High-Profile MonthlyNew England Facilities Development News
  • All News
      • Up Front
      • Groundbreaking
      • Topping Off
      • Ribbon Cutting
      • View All Up Front Stories
      • PXL_20230309_153128404Ground Broken on $40M Production Facility in Connecticut
      • Special Features
      • Contributor
      • Green
      • J.E.D.I.
      • Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing (MEP)
      • Vision
      • Women In Construction
      • Regions
      • Connecticut
      • Northern New England
      • Popular Sectors
      • Cannabis
      • Corporate
      • Education
      • Healthcare
      • Interiors
      • Landscape/Civil
      • Life Science
      • Multi Residential
      • Restoration/Renovation
      • Retail/Hospitality
      • Senior/Assisted Living
      • Technology & Innovation
      • Other News
      • Awards
      • Community
      • COVID-19
      • Mixed-use
      • Municipal
      • National/International
      • Organizations and Events
      • People
      • Philanthropy
      • Products and Services
      • Real Estate
      • Training and Recruitment
  • Subscribe
  • Membership
  • Next Issue
  • Archive
  • Advertise
  • Podcast
  • Events
    • Industry Events
    • A/E/C Associations
High-Profile Monthly
  • All News
      • Up Front
      • Groundbreaking
      • Topping Off
      • Ribbon Cutting
      • View All Up Front Stories
      • PXL_20230309_153128404Ground Broken on $40M Production Facility in Connecticut
      • Special Features
      • Contributor
      • Green
      • J.E.D.I.
      • Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing (MEP)
      • Vision
      • Women In Construction
      • Regions
      • Connecticut
      • Northern New England
      • Popular Sectors
      • Cannabis
      • Corporate
      • Education
      • Healthcare
      • Interiors
      • Landscape/Civil
      • Life Science
      • Multi Residential
      • Restoration/Renovation
      • Retail/Hospitality
      • Senior/Assisted Living
      • Technology & Innovation
      • Other News
      • Awards
      • Community
      • COVID-19
      • Mixed-use
      • Municipal
      • National/International
      • Organizations and Events
      • People
      • Philanthropy
      • Products and Services
      • Real Estate
      • Training and Recruitment
  • Subscribe
  • Membership
  • Next Issue
  • Archive
  • Advertise
  • Podcast
  • Events
    • Industry Events
    • A/E/C Associations

St. Louis Company Sets Standards For Recruiting A Diverse Workforce

March 8, 2018

St. Louis, MO – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction jobs will grow faster than the average for all other occupations from 2014 to 2024. Despite the apparent abundance of construction work, St. Louis trades, unions and construction companies continue to struggle to find qualified, diverse workers.

Minority-owned The UP Companies (UPCO), which consists of Power UP Electrical Contractors and Square UP Builders, is taking several steps toward boosting diversity and making a generational impact on the St. Louis metropolitan area workforce by reaching out to minority students and hiring qualified minorities.

“We know that union membership in Missouri has declined from 15.5% in 1989 to 8.8% in recent years and that the majority of union workers are between the ages of 45 and 64, so why aren’t more young minorities pursuing careers in the trades after high school? We are working diligently to change the perception of skilled labor,” said UPCO owner Michael Kennedy, Jr.

High school graduates who do not pursue a college education are more likely to seek employment in the trades, said Kennedy. In St. Louis City and County combined, 71% of individuals with just a high school diploma are minorities and women, and 29% are white men, according to the Coro Fellowship report.

Not all high school graduates go to college and there are plenty of skilled labor jobs currently available with competitive salaries and benefits, said Kennedy. A union apprentice can earn a yearly salary of $30,000 – $55,000, plus benefits and overtime pay, while a journeyman or foreman can earn upwards of $85,000 a year.

“With more young people pursuing college degrees after high school, less are showing an interest in learning skilled trades and joining unions, opting for other jobs that typically pay less and require less skills,” said Kennedy. “The construction consumer demand for quality, competitive pricing, and a diverse workforce is increasing all the time. The industry needs more minority workers, particularly now when more and more Baby Boomers are retiring.”

UPCO has continued to realize the value in mentoring young minorities and is striving to give disadvantaged students in St. Louis City and County the opportunity for a lifelong, respectable career in skilled labor.

The UP Companies employs a diverse, skilled, union workforce that consistently meets or exceeds minority participation requirements on every project and provides sub-contractor services at a more competitive price. UPCO currently employs 75 union apprentices and has grown its workforce from an initial 30 to 220, which includes 20% minorities.

UPCO has initiated several programs aimed at recruiting a diverse workforce and encouraging careers in skilled labor among minorities. Company representatives regularly visit high schools, technical high schools, trade schools and universities throughout the St. Louis area to recruit minority students for training at the Carpenters Union and Electricians Local 57. The UP Companies even offers its employees incentives to seek out and hire qualified minority workers.

Once entered in the union program, UPCO ensures that the students get the “right start” as apprentices by providing them with tools and scheduling their job assignments near public transportation when needed. UPCO sponsors these young adults into the union where their educations are paid for through their benefits package.

construction contractors diversity employment F jobs labor Missouri MO recruitment skills StLouis UPCO workforce
    FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmail

You may also like

People

O&G Names Firebaugh as New CIO

March 23, 2023
Contributor • Life Science • MEP

Developing a Quality Base Building...

March 23, 2023
People

Windover Promotes Seitz to Project...

March 22, 2023
Contributor • MEP

Sprinkler Design Challenges for...

March 22, 2023
People

Gilbert Promoted to Project Manager

March 20, 2023
Corporate • Restoration/Renovation

Sasaki Unveils New Downtown Boston...

March 20, 2023
Healthcare • Life Science

CM Firm Announces Science +...

March 17, 2023
People

Dussault Named Director of...

March 10, 2023

View the March 2023 issue!

Read the WIC 2023 Supplement!

Read HP’s 25th Anniversary Issue now!

Check out the 2022 Annual Green Supplement!

Read HP’s 2022 MEP issue!

Read our annual supplements!

  • Green2022.png
  • WIC2023.png
  • MEP2022.png
  • Vision-2019.png

HIGH-PROFILE MONTHLY
615 School St.
Pembroke, MA  02359
Phone: 781 294 4530
Fax:  781 293 5821
info@high-profile.com

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • My Account

Stay Informed

Sign up for Fast Facts Friday, our weekly e-newsletter, and stay up-to-date with the latest industry news!

Sign up
Subscribe to High-Profile Monthly to receive an email notice of each new article!
Loading

Copyright © 2023 High-Profile Monthly.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • RSS
  • Sign In
  • My Account