January 16, 2026

The ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter Construction Education Scholarship has been developed to encourage further education and support growth in the construction industry. Scholarships are available to students pursuing a Certificate of Completion or a post-secondary education leading to a bachelor’s degree in a construction-related field.

As the director of the Construction Industry Training Council of Colorado (CITC), I’ve spent years watching new apprentices enter this industry, eager to build their future — literally. Apprenticeship has always been a proven pathway to a rewarding, well-paying career without the crushing burden of student loan debt. And yet, even with all the opportunities we offer, our industry still wrestles with an uncomfortable truth: Too many apprentices don’t make it past the first couple of years.

After a strong start to 2025, the construction industry entered the third quarter with momentum slowing and warning lights beginning to flash. Employment growth has slowed, backlogs have softened and project costs continue to edge higher even as spending levels flatten. While certain sectors — particularly data centers and infrastructure — remain bright spots, most contractors are shifting from expansion to caution, focusing on cost discipline, workforce stability and maintaining healthy pipelines as the year comes to a close.

Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) emerged in 2025 as the critical issue for construction public policy. For those of us dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and genuine competition, government-mandated PLAs represent a direct and dastardly challenge to the foundational values that drive our industry. These mandates threaten both the businesses and workers who cherish the freedom to choose how they associate and operate within the construction marketplace.

The Colorado legislature wrapped up its 2025 session this past May, and the impact of passed legislation is still being assessed in contractor offices and jobsites across Colorado. From new workforce rules to construction litigation to changes in public contracting policy, lawmakers had the construction industry at the center of the action. Construction-related bills took swings at multi-family housing supply, wage-and-hour enforcement, public-works labor rules and workers’ compensation. A fifth bill, which passed overwhelmingly in the Democrat-controlled chambers but was vetoed by Gov. Polis, would have positioned Colorado as a union shop state.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced the winners of the 2024 National Excellence in Construction® Awards — 96 construction projects worth nearly
$4.7 billion — at the 35th annual ABC EIC Awards Gala in Las Vegas on Feb. 26. The EIC awards recognize top merit shop construction projects from 2024, such as hospital renovations, hydraulic stations, sports complexes, government buildings and airports, as well as outstanding achievements in leadership, health and safety, innovation, diversity and merit.

In 2019, Ladies Operating for Growth in Construction (LOGIC) was formed at the Greater ABC Houston Chapter. Since its inception, LOGIC continues to advocate for the interests of women in the construction industry nationwide by enhancing both the quality and presence of female professionals within the industry, while actively promoting a positive image of women in the field. LOGIC’s call to action is simple: a committee of women for women, supported by their peers.

For more than 100 years, personal protective equipment (PPE) has had one signature piece: the hard hat. It is iconic — like cowboy boots in Texas. Hard hats became the industry standard in the early 1900s, and they have done their job well by keeping workers safe from things falling straight down on their heads. But let’s be honest, construction has changed, and so has our understanding of safety. It is time for our head protection to meet today’s ever-changing needs.

ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) serves as a comprehensive safety benchmarking and enhancement tool designed to significantly elevate safety performance across all segments of the construction industry, irrespective of company size or scope of work. Developed by contractors for contractors, this program was established in 1989 through the efforts of the ABC National Environmental Health and Safety Committee.

Workforce development is something I’m deeply passionate about. I came up through the trades and I still believe today that construction is one of the most rewarding and opportunity-rich industries out there.