Build Montana program earns second national award
Members of the Montana Contractors Association (MCA) and The Montana Equipment Dealers Association (MEDA) received a Lester J. Heath Award from the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation at their annual convention. (Photo courtesy Montana Contractors Association)
Build Montana, the heavy equipment program and workforce initiative created through a partnership between the Montana Contractors Association and the Montana Equipment Dealers Association, was recently honored on the national stage for the second time.
Build Montana program partners were in Chicago last week to receive the Lester J. Heath Award from the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation during their annual summit.
This award is presented to individuals and groups for outstanding contributions to workforce development innovations. Representatives from the program's first year included the MCA, MEDA, RDO Equipment, Billings Public Schools, and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
“This program brought together industry competitors and associations, to work with the public schools,” said David Smith, executive director of the MCA. “The end result is we have creatively started to work on the workforce needs of contractors in Montana.”
The program was recognized last year by the Associated General Contractors of America, winning the AGC Chapter Workforce Development award, as the nation’s top workforce initiative. Build Montana currently has a program in its third year in Billings, and a program in its second year in Kalispell. The MCA has introduced a third program that will begin in Missoula starting this spring semester.