Has Rochester added workers of color in its busy building industry? It’s still working on it

ROCHESTER — After fits and starts, an ambitious local workforce initiative is poised to expand two years after Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded the city $1 million to bring women of color into the construction industry.

The program, called Equity in the Built Environment, is launching a marketing campaign this month to encourage more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) women to train and get hired in construction and design-related jobs in the community.

Thus far, officials involved in the project have helped one person get hired, three people get training and five entrepreneurs in related fields get support — from an in-home day care provider catering to construction worker hours to a person looking to open their own trucking business to support work sites.

It’s taken about a year to get to this point. The program’s director (and sole employee) wasn’t hired until late February 2023 after the city spent several months looking for local partners to administer services before landing on nonprofit Workforce Development, Inc.

At the same time, the project has expanded from its mission to curb labor shortages by bringing more women of color into construction trades. Workforce Development staff are building partnerships with local schools and Rochester Community and Technical College to provide more trades education for students.

The program also trains local construction and design firms in diversity, equity and inclusion practices — increasing the chances BIPOC women who are hired stay in their new careers.

“This isn’t just about bodies,” said Julie Brock, the equity program’s manager. “This is about transformation.”

Four companies have participated thus far. Once certified, they’ll be connected with program candidates.

Less than 1% of people employed in local construction jobs are women of color, mirroring similar hiring trends nationwide in an industry that predominantly hires white men. About 13% of Rochester’s population is women of color.

The program is largely targeting underemployed women of color who require more attention and support to change jobs, such as offering night classes for women with families.

“We want to help break down barriers for diverse candidates getting into this space,” said Stacy Brumfield, a diversity and trades coordinator with Workforce Development.

The program came as a bid for funding from a Bloomberg-sponsored city challenge. Bloomberg announced in January 2022 that Rochester was among 15 cities to get a $1 million grant. The city received that money in October 2022.

The program aims to get at least 60 women of color trained and hired, which staffers say is a lofty goal. Workforce Development usually helps 20 to 30 people a year in the Rochester area find jobs in trades careers.

Yet some city officials say they want more goals and hard deadlines to measure the project’s worth.

“I don’t think a year into it that they’re programmed to be successful,” City Council Member Shaun Palmer said.

Palmer, a retired building inspector, said he supports getting more people into the construction industry but he’s concerned the project has stretched into other areas without clear goals, deadlines and checks on its grant funding.

Mayor Kim Norton disagrees, saying city officials knew the program needed to address more than just workforce training and hiring to keep pace with the community’s growth and diversity.

“You have to convince different groups to try something they’ve never thought of,” Norton said.

Local construction and architecture firms are happy for any extra help, according to Patrick Sexton of Rochester Area Builders. Sexton said companies are preparing to ramp up hiring for Mayo Clinic’s $5 billion Rochester expansion, which city officials estimate will require at least 2,000 more workers over the next six years.

“We need as many people as we can possibly get,” Sexton said. “We need people yesterday.”