Intel and Micron are the first two companies to sign up to it.

 The aim is  to expand the American construction workforce by doubling the number of women in construction over the next decade. 

Under the Framework, companies will work with contractors, trade unions, and other community and workforce partners to implement best practices that will expand the construction workforce by increasing the participation of women and economically disadvantaged individuals. 

These recruitment and retention best practices will help support on-time and successful completion of Chips programme-funded 

.

“It is a simple question of math,” says DoC Secretary Gina Raimondo, “if  we are going to meet the national and economic security imperatives of the Chips Programme, we are going to have to figure out how to fill the hundreds of thousands of jobs we are creating, and we won’t fill those jobs without growing our construction workforce to include more women.”

“The Chips Women in Construction Framework will help get more women into our construction workforce by bringing together companies, communities, unions, and other workforce training partners to both develop the talent pipeline and ensure workplaces have the support systems needed,” adds Raimondo.

Adioting the Franework means  implementing the following practices:

  1. Set goals and monitor progress towards increasing the participation of women on CHIPS-funded construction projects.
  2. Build community partnerships with community organizations with a track record of increasing women and economically disadvantaged individuals’ exposure to and recruitment into the construction industry.
  3. Develop training pathways such as training investments, apprentice utilization goals, or apprentice readiness program partnerships that serve women and economically disadvantaged individuals.
  4. Provide access to supportive services such as child care or transportation that will increase retention of women and economically disadvantaged individuals in the workforce.
  5. Maintain healthy, safe, and respectful workplaces and prevent and address harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and violence through workplace training, policy and practice.

“Through PLAs and with the support of our community partners, we are creating pathways for all, including women and veterans in construction, while addressing barriers to entry, including increasing access to childcare at our sites,” says Micron vp  Manish Bhatia.

“Women make up nearly half of America’s workforce, yet remain vastly underrepresented in industries like construction, which needs more skilled workers to fill these high-paying jobs,” says Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su.