Arizona Business Daily
Arizona Department of Transportation issued the following announcement on Oct. 3.
With the Arizona Department of Transportation covering the cost of training and providing safety gear for participants, dozens of members of the Yavapai-Apache Nation have completed a Construction Academy that helps them launch careers in transportation.
Yavapai-Apache Construction Academy-Wall FrameAmong other instruction, the academy offers flagger certification and safety training required to work on construction projects within and around the reservation in the Verde Valley. In addition, some participants have received training required to obtain commercial driver licenses allowing them to drive for construction contractors.
It’s another example of ADOT’s On-The-Job-Training Supportive Services Program helping expand career opportunities for members of tribal nations. In 2017, a Construction Academy sponsored by ADOT helped members of the Tucson-area Pascua Yaqui Tribe earn certification to work on tribal construction projects.
“These partnerships with tribes are a natural extension of programs designed to connect people with opportunities in the transportation industry,” said Dr. Vivien Lattibeaudiere, ADOT’s employee and business development administrator. “Training offered through ADOT, through contractors, through community colleges and through other avenues connects members of disadvantaged groups, including those who are unemployed, with construction careers.”
