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Community Workforce Agreements: Pathway to Career Opportunities

As the nation ramps up its investments in green construction, ranging from energy efficiency retrofits to smart grid upgrades to solar installation, public and private project funders should seek to both rely on a high-quality workforce and create economic benefits for local residents. Community Workforce Agreements are a critical tool for ensuring that major construction projects create opportunities for local residents and disadvantaged workers. CWAs include language and terms about hiring workers, engaging firms from targeted populations, or other ways to help the community.

This report introduces CWAs and describes critical components that enhance their success. It highlights the benefits of these agreements to many stakeholders, including disadvantaged workers, community-based organizations, organized labor, and the owners or leaders of public and private construction projects. Case studies from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Cleveland, Ohio, provide insight into how CWAs have been developed and implemented.