Minorities sought by building trades BY CAROLYN P. SMITH, Belleville News-Democrat, IL
'From 2006 to 2011, IDOT will do about $1.5 billion worth of work in District 8 (which includes the metro-east). The opportunities are going to be here. It takes three to five years (of training and experience) depending on the trade to get to journeyman from an apprenticeship. A person could get trained and spend more than half of his career working right here in District 8,' Coleman told the gathering.
Dave Foree, executive director of the trades council, which represents all of the building trades, said he's been in the field for 45 years and "for 35 years we've been trying to find more qualified minorities."