Large, prime contractors in Virginia are having difficulty finding enough certified small and minority- and women-owned subcontractors to meet the state’s diversity policy goals, according to a survey of businesses and public entities in the state.
The survey also revealed that some subs that would qualify under diversity goals thought the certification process was challenging, or were unaware of opportunities presented to them if they went through that process. The difficulty in meeting diversity goals has also been reported in other areas of the country.
Less than a third of the Boston’s top 150 projects met racial equity goals, and none met targets for women contractors. In Florida, a contractor recently asked for more time to complete a luxury condo project, in part because of a struggle to find enough diverse workers to meet goals.
The Virginia survey and other reporting on the diversity challenge could indicate that prime contractors aiming for federal infrastructure projects will have a tough time finding qualified subcontractors to meet diversity goals.
Related Stories
| Oct 3, 2013
Florida contractors worry that regulations will hamper their ability to hire
Regulations such as the E-Verify rule and the Affordable Care Act could hinder contractors from hiring additional workers, according to some Florida contractors.
| Oct 3, 2013
Fall protection violations top OSHA citations list
Violations of fall-protection standards in fiscal 2013 are again the most frequent source of citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to its top 10 list.
| Oct 3, 2013
Arizona utility pushes for change in building codes to boost efficiency on all commercial projects
Many large construction projects in Arizona are going green by paying attention to energy efficiency, but smaller buildings that are often rented out haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon.
| Oct 3, 2013
Bipartisan energy efficiency bill stalled; may not be revived this year
The Senate spent the first two weeks of September trying to pass bipartisan energy efficiency legislation, commonly known as Shaheen-Portman (S. 1392) that would have impacted building codes.
| Oct 3, 2013
LEED credential exams will feature LEED v4 material beginning next spring
The LEED Professional Credential exams for the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP with specialty designations will feature LEED v4 material beginning in late spring 2014.
| Sep 26, 2013
Ballot period on National CAD Standards open until Oct. 13
The Ballot Comment Period to update the nation’s leading computer-aided design (CAD) standard is now open.
| Sep 26, 2013
OSHA encourages comments on respirable crystalline silica rules
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rulemaking for respirable crystalline silica has been published in the Federal Register.
| Sep 26, 2013
EPA’s final rule on updated ASTM standard likely to be withdrawn
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to withdraw a direct final ruleissued in Augustregarding an ASTM standard for Phase I Environmental Site.
| Sep 26, 2013
A primer on RoofPoint green-rating system for commercial roofs
The RoofPoint green-rating system can be used to construct more energy-efficient and sustainable commercial roofs.
| Sep 26, 2013
ConsensusDocs releases updated federal subcontract to help construction firms perform federal work
The newly revised ConsensusDocs standard subcontract (ConsensusDocs 752 for federal work) will make it easier for general contractors and subcontractors to perform federal work.
