U .S. Department Of Labor To Offer Online Prevailing Wage Seminars In September For Employers, Workers And Other Stakeholders

LEGAL U.S. Department Of Labor To Offer Online Prevailing Wage Seminars In September For Employers, Workers And Other Stakeholders

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced today that it is offering online seminars in September to provide compliance assistance on the legal requirements to pay prevailing wages on federal and federally funded contracts for contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders. The events are part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness among and improve compliance by employers with federal and federally funded contracts.

The multi-part seminars will offer participants self-paced learning with video overviews of topics such as the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) and the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), followed by live question-and-answer sessions with WHD representatives who will respond to questions and lead discussions on relevant topics. Interested participants should register in advance and complete the self-paced portion of the training before attending a live session. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is committed to providing useful information to help employers understand their legal responsibilities as federal contractors to pay prevailing wages and ensure workers are paid the wages they’ve earned,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Cheryl Stanton. “These seminars give us the opportunity to reach a large number of stakeholders in an effective manner. We encourage employers and other stakeholders to participate in these events and to use our many tools on wage and hour compliance.”

WHD will offer the live portion of the DBRA seminar on prevailing wage requirements on federal and federally funded construction contracts from 2 p.m. to 3:30

p.m. EDT on Sept. 9 and 15, 2020. Register for one of these sessions.

The live portion of the SCA seminar on prevailing wage requirements for contractors performing services on federal contracts will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 10 and 16, 2020. Register for one of these sessions.

For more information on the Davis-Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act and other federal wage laws related to government contracts administered by the WHD, please call the Department’s toll-free helpline at 1-866-4USWAGE (487-9243) or visit the WHD website at dol. gov/agencies/whd.

WHD’s mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes. Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the DavisBacon and Related Acts and the Service Contract Act and other laws applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services. The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

The Rural A Look at How Workforce Academy is Changing the Lives of Rural Texas Residents

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

While many parts of Texas have been greatly affected by various types of disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey and now the COVID-19 pandemic, rural areas experience a more long-term hurt than urban areas. But, thanks to Prairie View A&M University’s new Rural Workforce Academy, change and opportunity have arrived.

The Rural Workforce Academy, a collaboration of the U.S. Economic Development Administration Department of Commerce and Prairie View A&M University, the City of Prairie View and Langetree Retreat and Ecocenter, will offer training and certification led by industry experts in the areas of welding, electrical installation and service technician, core construction and nursing assistant.

“Being able to have people who are qualified and trained in these different skills in the workforce is going to be incredible,” City of Prairie View Mayor David Allen said. “We always encourage developers to utilize local resources, but if we don’t have trained workers, there is not much we can do. This program is going to open up the opportunity to actually offer those developers trained, local workers who are able to take on and complete the job.”

Mayor Allen, along with many others in the community, is hopeful that this program will address the rebuilding and recovery efforts of Liberty and Waller counties by bringing the necessary tools and training to create much needed jobs for residents in these communities. “Being able to give a skill set that people can utilize toward working and being productive is going to create change throughout the entire county as well as surrounding counties,” Mayor Allen said. “For our residents to have this type of life-changing training is literally invaluable.”

This pilot program will aid in an already established long-term recovery plan for Texas rural counties by lending to the goal of economic resilience. It contributes to the efforts of engaging more with surrounding communities by bringing training and expertise to the unemployed and underemployed rural residents.

and make the state even more successful in terms of economic growth and development.”

He believes this program is an example of how land grant universities like Prairie View A&M honor their mission to advocate for underserved populations as well as those

with limited resources.

“It is programs like this that create jobs,” College of Agricultural and Human Sciences Dean and Director of Land Grants Programs Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., said. “And jobs create what is known as multiplier impacts in the community by increasing income, increasing output and increasing economic development. These factors build the engine that will drive the economy

“For people who do not intend to go on to college, this is an ideal career path,” D’Souza said. “Being a land grant university means we are here to serve the needs of the people, and given the confluence of hurricanes and now the pandemic, which create a lot of displacement, this type of program can give people a leg up and help uplift the community while also contributing to economic growth. At the end of the day, it is about impact, making a difference in people’s lives and serving the needs of our communities.”

Jimmy Henry, Program Leader for the Community and Economic Development Unit at Prairie View A&M, believes this program is an opportunity to meet the needs of high demand jobs in the area by providing the training necessary for them. But he also believes this program can grow to be much more.

“I am excited about the start of this program, but I am even more excited about where the program can go,” Henry said. “We don’t have plans to stop here. We want to continue growing The Rural Workforce Academy and help as many people in our community as we can.”

Training sessions will take place in Liberty County at the Langetree Retreat and Ecocenter and Waller County on the campus of Prairie View

A&M University and the City of Prairie View. The Rural Workforce Academy is open to anyone who has a desire to learn and a determination to succeed in their newly earned industry-recognized certification. As part of the program, participants will receive industry-expert-led training and job placement assistance with local employers, leading them to reach the goals of certification, secure employment and immeasurable life skills.

For more information about the academy, visit www.TheRuralWorkforceAcademy.com or call 936-261-5165.