ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmembers and chapters have a new tool to engage college students in construction-related degree programs nationwide. A new video shows how the ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓNational Student Chapter Network gives faculty members and college students real-world information and experience through membership meetings, guest speakers, internships, community service projects, fundraisers, career fairs, jobsite tours and more.

Project labor agreements are special interest schemes that end open, fair and competitive bidding on public works projects. PLAs drive up the cost of construction by reducing competition and effectively excluding merit shop contractors and their skilled employees from building projects paid for by their own tax dollars.ÌýCheck out ABC’s new video below to learn more about PLAs.Ìý

If you’ve recently been in an airport or watched either the Masters Tournament or the World Series, you’ve probably heard the termsÌýcloud computing,Ìýartificial intelligence andÌýInternet of Things. But what do these terms imply for someone working in the construction industry?ÌýÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓPresident and CEO Mike Bellaman invites ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmembers to educate themselves about the digital builder of the future by checking out a new book,ÌýPrecision Construction, available for Kindle today, with print and audiobook versions due out shortly.ÌýSign up 

ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓwas one of 17 member organizations of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention that met recently in Washington, D.C., to collaborate on how to equip companies to better address mental health issues and reduce the risk of suicide in the construction industry. Members of the Alliance, which was classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity this summer, formed governance, fundraising, education and marketing task forces during a strategic planning session during National Suicide Prevention Month.

On Oct. 11, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued aÌýmemorandum clarifying its position on workplace safety incentive programs and post-incident drug testing included in the 2016 final rule,ÌýImprove Tracking of Workplace Injuries and IllnessesÌý(also known as the Electronic Injury Reporting and Anti-Retaliation final rule), issued under the Obama administration.ÌýÌý

On Oct. 10, the U.S. Senate approved the America’s Water Infrastructure Act, a waterways infrastructure bill that requires reauthorization every two years, with a bipartisan 99-1 vote. The House passed the bill earlier this year, and the president is expected to sign it into law this week. The legislation authorizes at least $9 billion for critical water infrastructure projects across America, including flood protection and drinking water improvement projects.

On Oct. 9, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour DivisionÌýannouncedÌýa six-month extension to its overtime and minimum wage compliance initiative, theÌýPayroll Audit Independent Determination program.ÌýAccording to aÌýWHD news release, theÌýPAID programÌýhelps workers receive more back wages due in an expedited manner, without having to wait for lengthy investigations to conclude or court cases to resolve.

Prices for inputs to construction rose 0.3 percent in September and are 7.4 percent higher than a year ago, according to an ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓanalysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Overall prices for nonresidential construction inputs rose 0.4 percent, reversing last month’s downward trend. Among individual subcategories, softwood lumber prices are down 0.4 percent, yet are up 5.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. Crude petroleum and natural gas prices are both up on a monthly basis, 8.7 and 1.1 percent, respectively.Ìý

October is Careers in Construction Month, which creates the perfect opportunity to highlight the many career paths the construction industry provides for people with a variety of experience, education and expertise. And especially given the estimated 500,000 open construction positions in the United States right now, workforce development and filling the skills gap remains a key priority for ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓand its members.

Start your journey to world-class safety today with ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process. STEP is a safety benchmarking and improvement tool that dramatically improves safety performance among construction industry participants, regardless of company size or type of work. Every ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmember wants to send its workers home safely every night.Ìý