Two bills would help students pay for education costs — including covering upfront tuition, fees and supplies — to fill critical workforce gaps.
construction workers
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Culture, Equity, Health, News
The construction industry has a high suicide rate. Experts gathered in Denver to find a solution.
Nicholas Williams began to panic when his construction equipment malfunctioned. He was 65 feet off the ground, and less than two months into the new job, when he became stuck in a lift basket. When another lift basket rose up to rescue him, Williams had no choice but to jump into the other functioning piece […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Women in construction — where gender pay equity is 94.3%
Here’s a shocker: Only 11% of construction workers are women. OK, maybe that’s not really much of a shocker. It’s been a male-dominated industry for … ever. Maybe the shocker is that the share of women in construction has grown since 2018, when the rate was at 9.9% though it’s hovered between 9% to 10% […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Growth, Housing, News
Housing demand is greater than ever but Colorado is building fewer homes than expected. Here’s why.
In a past life, Susan Ohlhaber helped people as a mental health counselor. Actually, it wasn’t that long ago. It was just last year. Then the COVID-19 pandemic began and she was laid off. Ohlhaber, who lives in Morrison, is now learning the difference between a jig saw, a circular saw and a reciprocating saw. […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: How much federal COVID relief went to unemployed Coloradans?
The day is finally here and some will weep but others will likely be cheering. It’s the last day Colorado will pay pandemic unemployment benefits, if you’re reading this on Sept. 4. According to Department of Labor and Employment officials, about 107,000 Coloradans will no longer be eligible while another 30,000 people will no longer […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado’s construction industry is short on workers as housing prices skyrocket
In Loveland, J Gonzales says it’s been tough filling entry-level jobs to get the Allweather Wood manufacturing plant’s workforce back up to its full strength. The general laborer positions at the wood treatment plant involve physical labor, start at $18 an hour and offer forklift training to those who wish to move to a higher-paying […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Housing, News
Record lumber prices are adding $35,000 to the sale price of a new home, further crunching Colorado’s housing market
With housing demand pushing lumber prices to more than double what 2x4s cost a year ago, workers at the Allweather Wood manufacturing plant in Loveland are treating lumber as fast as possible. But they’ve run into issues aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic. Not all employees returned to work after a brief closure last year. Staffing […]
Posted inCOVID, News
Coronavirus has struck construction sites across Colorado, including a school and off-campus housing project
Coronavirus outbreaks have hit staff working in the close quarters of Colorado nursing homes, prisons and jails, food-manufacturing plants and restaurants. Add construction workers to that list, as the number of job sites with outbreaks continues to rise. A construction crew building a school in Kit Carson fell ill with the virus, sickening 26 workers […]