Linking Infrastructure and Capital Investments with Jobs and Training

1. Linking Infrastructure and Capital Investments with Jobs and Training Working Poor Families Project 2009 State Policy Academy June 10-11, Chicago

2. Session #1 Mapping possibilities in Infrastructure Capital Investments, and other projects

3. Multiple possibilities • Multiple sectors • Construction • Transportation • Public works • Sector-specific economic development • Multiple occupations • Construction • Administrative support • Permanent jobs created

4. Multiple possibilities • Multiple sources • Federally funded • State support through general funds and/or bonds • Capital, operating, and/or transportation budgets • Other legislation, related to economic/community development • State regulatory authority over private sector • Multiple state actions • Administration (housing authority) • Contracting processes (grants and loans) • local government • Private-sector • Regulation

5. Construction • Public buildings • Capital projects for schools, hospitals, jails, etc. • Private buildings • Grants, loans, land giveaways for private-sector • Public housing • Management or financing of public housing projects • Weatherization & energy-efficient retrofits • Federal funded, state administered • Public utilities • Regulation

6. Transportation • Road and bridge construction • State grants and loans to local governments (capital bonds) • Federal funded • Ports and airports • Management, funding, and/or regulation

7. Other • Public works • Dams; solid waste disposal facilities; and water supply, wastewater, storm water collection systems • Grants and loans to local governments • Sector-specific economic development • State funding to support business development and job creation in a targeted industry sector (not deals for individual firms)

8. Roundtable Discussion • Advocacy Strategies and Lessons from the Field • Ruthie Liberman • Job training funding set asides/proposals through green jobs, life sciences, and film industry legislation in Massachusetts • Tony Lee • Job training and targeted hiring policies in Evergreen Jobs Act in Washington • Carrie Thomas • Construction job equity goals and weatherization training through Capital Budget bill in Illinois

9. Relevant federal policies • Job quality • Davis-Bacon prevailing wage • Obama executive order permitting project-labor agreements on federal construction projects • Job access • HUD Section 3 • Equal employment policy for women and minorities for federal contracts (Affirmative Action plan) • Sense of the Senate vs. U.S. DOT local hiring rule • Job training • ½% on-the-job training and supportive services for U.S. DOT

10. Job Access (continued) • Hiring for DOT-funded transportation projects • Sense of Senate • Promote hiring of low-income , local individuals on federally-funded transportation construction projects • Encourage partnerships between state/local government, community colleges, high schools, apprenticeship programs, and CBOs to (1) leverage training resources and (2) help to ensure local participation in projects. • Cites Alameda Corridor’s 30% local hiring policy • FHWA regulation • Prohibits local hiring preferences • Discriminate against nonlocal contractors • NELP suggests that regulations allow for income-based preferences

11. Job Training • DOT on-the-job training and supportive services • Up to ½% of DOT funds can go to highway construction training • Ensure equal employment opportunity • State can choose to spend on training or not • State examples • Minnesota • Michigan

12. Job access • HUD Section 3 • HUD-funded construction or rehabilitation projects. • Public or Indian Housing • CDBG, HOME, Neighborhood Stabilization Fund, etc • $200,000 or more • Requires “greatest extent possible” that • 30% of new jobs go to low-income individuals (and receive job training) • Race and gender neutral • 10% of construction work to low-income subcontractors • Housing authorities/agencies responsible for reporting contractor compliance to HUD • State policy example • Missouri