Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite Named ARP National Campaign Spokesperson

 

WASHINGTON –  October 2, 2019 – North America’s Building Trades Unions are joining forces with business and government officials and labor leaders on a national campaign supporting the growth of Apprenticeship Readiness Programs (ARPs) to increase high-skilled trade workforce opportunities for women, communities of color and veterans. As part of this effort, North America’s Building Trades Unions recently named Alabama Power’s CEO Mark Crosswhite to serve as the campaign’s national spokesperson.

This campaign, funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, private industry investment, and community group support, will promote registered apprenticeship recruitment through ARPs for local residents in underserved communities. In addition to recruitment events, video ads, digital and print marketing materials, NABTU is planning a national ARP conference in the Southeast. This conference will bring together construction end-users, industry partners like Alabama Power, contractors and contractor associations, community groups, educators, policymakers, and others to collaborate on investments to provide more education gateways to access the family-sustaining careers of building trades unions.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Alabama Power to change more lives in the state of Alabama. Strengthening the pipeline of a highly-skilled construction workforce where these workers reside and are needed strengthens every community across the country. We know the power of investing in local workers, and we appreciate Alabama Power’s commitment to do this with us,” said Sean McGarvey, NABTU president.

Sponsored by NABTU, ARPs give students hands-on training and educational services that introduce union crafts and the construction industry before they select a specific career trade. More than 150 of these programs nationwide develop plumbers, electricians, ironworkers and other skilled professionals, supporting economic growth and providing contract workers for companies including Alabama Power. NABTU ARPs have programs in cities across the country including Seattle, Atlanta, Birmingham, San Diego, and Boston.

“I’m honored to join forces with NABTU leadership and the millions of skilled tradespeople,” Crosswhite said. “Investing in our local communities through educational resources like the Apprenticeship Readiness Program helps develop the highly skilled workforce we need.”

Through collaboration with NABTU, Alabama Power provides training opportunities in a number of Alabama communities to prepare local residents, particularly those from underrepresented communities, and transitioning veterans for registered building trade apprenticeship programs. A number of Alabama-based ARPs have had success this year including programs at Jefferson State Community College and Lawson State Community College. Efforts like these have become a standard that NABTU hopes to replicate and expand more across the country through this national marketing initiative.

“The Apprenticeship Readiness Program is amazing,” said Lydia Griffin, an ARP graduate. “It really opened my eyes to careers I never knew existed. I realized the benefits that the building trades can offer, and it’s made me really excited for my future career.”

Visit NABTU.org to learn more about the program.

Media Contact : Betsy Barrett, (202) 756-4623 | bbarrett@nabtu.org

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About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry that collectively represent over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and our signatory contractor partners invest over $1 billion in private sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the safest, most highly trained, and productive skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renown apprenticeship and training, and creating pathways to the middle class for women, communities of color and military veterans in the construction industry. www.nabtu.org.