Partnering With Communities on Major Projects to Assure Success in DBE Participation Diversity in Em

Partnering With Communities on Major Projects to Assure Success in DBE Participation, Diversity in Employment and Workforce Development

The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) New Britain-Hartford Busway Project was selected by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) who hosted a workshop on workforce development and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) capacity building. Connecticut was one of five states in the nation selected to collaborate with FHWA and FTA to launch this workshop. The other states selected include Colorado, Arizona, New York, and Indiana.

The purpose of the workshop was to introduce community partnering as a process to engage more women and minorities in construction careers and to improve the ability of DBE firms to compete for contracting opportunities on federal transportation projects. CTDOT invited community organizations, minority and women owned businesses, prime contractors, industry organizations, and other stakeholders who participated.

The workshop was conducted as a 1-1/2-day event and held on August 11 & 12, 2010, in Hartford, CT. The workshop introduced successful community engagement models that have been developed and used in other States. CTDOT will provide a project overview and discuss potential contracting opportunities. Discussion sessions were held as part of the workshop and used to solicit input and recommendations on actions CTDOT can take to increase the opportunities for contracting and employment opportunities on CTDOT Projects.