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Pratt Institute announces first 'Diverse Voices Creating Just Futures' cluster hire aimed at institutional change

2023-12-05T17:04:00-05:00

Today, the Pratt Institute has announced the launch of a new cluster hire initiative aimed at recruiting diverse faculty to each of the five degree-granting schools on its Brooklyn, New York campus.

Through “Diverse Voices Creating Just Futures,” Pratt believes it will create transformational learning experiences for all students as was outlined in the All-Institute Learning Goals from 2021.

Five new tenure-track assistant professors will be appointed to schools of Architecture, Art, Design, Information, and Liberal Arts and Sciences, respectively. There, they will focus on a broad range of special academic program areas, including Film/Video, Undergraduate Architecture, Interior Design, and the History of Art and Design. Pratt says the cohort will be brought together and provided with support for their scholarly and creative endeavors, in addition to being able to collaborate with each other on multidisciplinary research and other special projects.

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Autodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America launch media library to boost diversity in the construction industry

2021-06-29T18:16:00-04:00

Autodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) have launched the Construction Diversity Image Library, a joint initiative that aims to increase representation and attract a more diverse AEC workforce.

The library is a collection of photographs, for use by media outlets, featuring diverse individuals in the construction workforce. Photos are of real construction teams on real job sites. The library launched with an established collection of photos provided by several AGC member firms. Autodesk and AGC hope to attract and encourage more organizations across the design and building industry to submit their own workforce photos.

This photo was sourced from the Construction Diversity Image Library. Photo: James Kim Photography + PC Construction in Accokeek, Maryland.

As noted in a press announcement, in 2019 and 2020, the annual workforce survey conducted by the AGC and Autodesk highlighted a growing demand for more talent. Eighty percent of contractors reported that th...

Mobile games help employers teach potential recruits about construction safety and building protocols

2019-12-24T09:00:00-05:00

While finding the right employee hires is a key concern for any business, less attention has been paid, until recently, to streamlined training and workforce development initiatives. Yet, with the growing sophistication and proliferation of online training services and mobile apps that can assist with employee development, it's no surprise one company has found a way to help the construction industry with their onboarding processes.

The Pittsburgh-based educational app developer, Simcoach, has created an app that helps potential construction hires with basic safety and equipment usage. Zachary Phillips of ConstructionDive reports, "Mobile games encourage continued usage by promising prizes, levels, and rewards for advancing through challenges. Construction managers are capitalizing on younger generations' interest in these types of games, especially on mobile platforms, to recruit and promote safety through educational construction apps."

Games such as Harnes...