Registration is now open for the next AGC Safety & Health Conference to be held on July 22-24, 2009, in Washington, D.C.  The hotel cut-off date is June 22, 2009.Join more than 150 industry professionals and participate in the development of regulatory and legislative activity on both a national and local level, assist in the development and creation of new safety training programs and products and hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts. Click here to learn more.

Focus Four Hazards Safety Training is coming to the D.C. metro area on Monday, July 20  and Tuesday, July 21, 2009. For the seventh year in a row, AGC has partnered with OSHA to offer FREE Susan Harwood Grant training seminars! The Focus Four Hazards in Construction covers falls, electrocutions, struck-bys and caught-betweens, which account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry. These free training seminars are being held at two metro-accessible locations!

AGC brings programs to you for early-career superintendents and project managers, and those looking to get involved with green construction and building information modeling.AGC works with leading industry experts and practitioners to develop its national curricula. Currently, AGC has four primary curricula, with several others in development. Developed to be hosted locally across the country, course material includes an Instructor’s Guide and Participant’s Manual to ensure participants across the country receive the same quality program.AGC’s nationally developed curricula include:• The Supervisory Training Program (STP)—designed for early-career superintendents and those looking to move into such a role, STP contains ten units of topics relevant to superintendents and two overview units geared toward building or heavy/highway construction supervisors. Each unit in this program is designed for 25 hours of instruction. You can learn more at www.agc.org/STP.• Building to LEED®-NC: Overview and the Impact on Construction Practices—designed specifically for construction professionals, this course focuses on the contractor's role in a LEED project, translating the LEED ratings system and organizing credits based on the impact they will have on construction. This course is designed for one full day of instruction and must be taught by someone who is a LEED AP. You can learn more at www.agc.org/Green.• The Project Manager Development Program (PMDP)—designed for early-career project managers and those looking to move into such a role, the five courses in this program focus on the project manager’s role in any type of construction. Each module of this program is designed for 16 hours of instruction. You can learn more at www.agc.org/PMDP.• The Building Information Modeling (BIM) Education Program—designed specifically for construction professionals, this series will lead contractors through the process of learning about, understanding, adopting and effectively using BIM. BIM 101, the first course in the series, provides an overview of what BIM is, why and how to use it. Introduction to BIM Technology, the next course to be released, will introduce users to the features of BIM tools from multiple platforms.  You can learn more at www.agc.org/BIMEP.Locate an AGC Chapter to find courses scheduled near you or contact Amy Fields or Stephanie Mullins at curriculum@agc.org for more information on hosting training.Instructor’s Guide and Participant Manuals as reference guides for each course are available for purchase through the AGC Bookstore at http://www.agc.org/Bookstore or by calling 1-800-242-1767.

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on June 24 announced five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for “green” jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.Nongovernmental organizations (such as AGC Chapters and Chapter-sponsored educational foundations) are eligible to apply for three of the five competitions: Green Capacity Building Grants, Energy Training Partnership Grants and Pathways Out of Poverty Grants. The fourth and fifth grant competitions -- the State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants and the State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants – will accept applications only from state Workforce Investment Boards.All five grant competitions are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. DOL is encouraging applicants to align their work “to other Recovery Act funded projects that create jobs or impact the skill requirements of existing jobs.”AGC of America encourages any Chapter interested in applying for one of the grants to develop the broadest possible strategic partnership base, including community and faith-based organizations, labor-management organizations, educational organizations, employer organizations and the public work force system.According to guidance DOL issued in early June, these grants must follow the Workforce Investment Act, as amended to incorporate the Green Jobs Act of 2007, which clearly states that all eligible partnerships must include labor-management organizations. AGC is supporting legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to amend the Green Jobs Act to allow all for the inclusion of labor-management organizations without mandating their inclusion.All grant applicants should focus on the energy-efficient sector of construction and show how they will use the grant funds to provide training to at least one of the following: unemployed workers, lower-skilled workers, high school dropouts, ex-offenders and/or displaced auto workers.DOL is restricting lead applicants to one grant application each. However, the lead applicant for one competition is not prohibited from participating as a partner in an application submitted for a different competition.The three DOL grant competitions open to nongovernmental agencies:• Green Capacity Building Grants: $5 million to provide training for entry-level positions leading to career pathways and/or additional training in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. DOL expects to award between 50 and 100 grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. Closing date: August 5, 2009. Applications will be accepted only from organizations that have received DOL grants through one of the following programs:      o Advancing Registered Apprenticeship into the 21st Century: Collaborating for Success;      o Farmworker Jobs Program;      o Indian and Native American Program;      o Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative;      o Senior Community Service Employment Program;      o Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations;      o YouthBuild; and      o Young Offender Grants.DOL will post a pre-recorded Webinar online about this competition at 3 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 10, 2009. The Webinar will be available continuously after that point.• Energy Training Partnership Grants: $100 million for projects that provide training and placement services in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries for workers impacted by national energy and environmental policy, individuals in need of updated training related to the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries and unemployed workers. The Department expects to award 20-30 grants ranging from approximately $2 million to $5 million each. One-quarter of the $100 million is expected to be directed to applicants serving communities impacted by automotive-related restructuring. DOL will select applicants from two pools: (1) national labor-management organizations with local networks; and (2) statewide or local nonprofit partnerships that have formed “a joint partnership of labor organizations, employers or industry organizations, Workforce Investment Boards and One Stop Career Centers.” Closing date: September 4, 2009.DOL will hold a Webinar for prospective applicants from 2-3:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 13, 2009. The Webinar will be recorded and posted no later than 3 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 17, 2009.• Pathways Out of Poverty Grants: $150 million for projects that provide training and placement services to provide pathways into employment within the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries for unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, individuals with a criminal record and disadvantaged individuals. DOL will select applicants from two pools: (1) national nonprofit entities with networks of local affiliates, coalition members, or other established partners; and (2) local entities. A “national nonprofit entity” is described as a nonprofit that delivers services through networks of local affiliates, coalition members or other established partners in at least four states. A “local entity” can be a public organization, such as a community college, or private nonprofit organizations whose service area is a limited to geographic region that is less than a whole state, such as a neighborhood, city, county, portion of a state or portion of several states (such as Kansas City).Required partners for both local and national entities must include at least one entity from each of the following five categories:      o Nonprofit organizations, such as community or faith-based organizations that have direct access to the         targeted populations;      o Public workforce investment system, such as a local Workforce Investment Boards;      o Education and training community;      o Public and private employers and industry-related organizations; and      o Labor organizations, including, but not limited to, labor unions and labor-management organizations.ETA intends to fund grants ranging from approximately $3 million to $8 million for national entities, and grants ranging from approximately $2 million to $4 million for local entities. Closing date: September 29, 2009.DOL will hold a Webinar for prospective applicants from 2-3:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 14, 2009. The Webinar will be recorded and posted no later than 3 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 17, 2009.The full rules, requirements and eligibility guidelines for each of the grant competitions is available online.

Upcoming ConsensusDOCS Webinar – Federal Subcontracting Are You Ready to Contract for Federal Projects? When: July 9, 2009  1:00 - 2:00 pm ET

The first webinar, How to Make BIM Work & Navigate the Legal Concerns, will be held on June 24, 2009 from 1:00 to 2:30 ET.  Hear firsthand from an owner, architect and contractor on how they have dealt with the legal ramifications of moving into a 3-D world of design and construction and how the ConsensusDOCS 301 BIM Addendum addresses these risk allocation and administration issues as the first standard BIM contract document.The second webinar, Are You Ready to Contract for Federal Projects?, will be held on July 9, 2009 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET.  This webinar is ideal for those new to federal contracting or those who need a clearer understanding on federal contracting issues.  The new ConsensusDOCS 752 will be used as a guide to help explain ethics compliance, the Federal Prompt Pay Act, FAR flow-down provisions, and more.AGC members pay just $99 for each webinar ($229 retail price).  For more information, contact Megan McGarvey at mcgarveym@agc.org or 703-837-5369.

AGC offers a library of online training programs just a mouse click away! The HAZWOPER 40-Hour Course, 24-Hour Course and 8-Hour Annual Refresher have new lower prices. AGC also offers the popular OSHA 30-Hour and 10-Hour Course in English and Spanish.Click here for an expanded list of online courses.

Ready How to Make BIM Work & Navigate the Legal ConcernsJune 24, 2009 1:00 - 2:30 ETBuilding Information Modeling (BIM) is a powerful tool that is transforming the design and construction industry. Owners, Architects and Contractors are tapping into BIM as a competitive advantage to increase project efficiency and improve overall results. The biggest obstacle for many, however, is navigating the legal issues involved with BIM.Hear firsthand from an Owner, Architect and Contractor on how they have dealt with the legal ramifications of moving into a 3-D world of design and construction and how the ConsensusDOCS 301 BIM Addendum addresses these risk allocation and administration issues as the first standard BIM contract document. Learn more at www.AGC.org/BIMweb.Are You Ready to Contract for Federal Projects?July 9, 2009  1:00 - 2:00 pm ETFederal Contracting isn't easy and neither are the contracts.  The ConsensusDOCS 752 is the first and only standard subcontract agreement for Federal construction projects that is compliant with the most recent contracting requirements and practices found in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).  The new ConsensusDOCS 752 will be used as a guide to help explain:Ethics complianceFederal Prompt Pay ActFAR flow-down provisionsFor those new to Federal Contracting or those who need a clearer understanding on Federal Contracting Contracts.  Learn more at www.AGC.org/FARwebinar.

June 25, 1:30 - 3:00 pm ETNow scheduled for June 25, this webinar will explore the green incentives and sustainability provisions contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Learn about the details of these provisions as well as the potential impact on construction project financing and lending standards. Information will be provided on the current credit and lending issues as well as the impact on financing contained in portions of the ARRA, specifically green incentives. Industry expert Andy Lutz from Navigant will explore ARRA its impact on the construction market on June 25 from 1:30 - 3:00 pm ET. Register today!  All previous registrations will be honored.For more information, please contact Carrie Harper at harperc@agc.org.

Tight on money? The AGC Bookstore has dropped the price for the HAZWOPER 40-Hour Course, HAZWOPER 24-Hour Course and HAZWOPER 8-Hour Annual Refresher. Tight on time? Now is your opportunity to save time by taking these courses online.