Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS C3?
C3 (Construction Career Collaborative) is a labor-neutral, 501(c)(3), nonprofit alliance of Owners, General Contractors, Specialty Contractors, construction industry trade organizations and design professionals working to create a safe, skilled and sustainable craft workforce by positively impacting the issues facing the craft workforce in the commercial construction industry of the Greater Houston Region.
WHAT DOES C3 DO?
C3 strives to make careers in the construction trades attractive in order to create a safe, skilled and sustainable craft workforce for the future. C3 achieves this objective with a foundational OSHA safety requirement, evergreen C3 Safety Refresher Training and by consulting with construction companies, free of charge, to help them develop and implement competitive Talent Management practices and skills training linked to construction career paths for their craft workers. After a rigorous assessment by C3, those companies that provide a craft training program for their craft workforce can earn an endorsement at one of three levels – Recognized, Leader or Champion, which is a requirement of all Accredited Employers.
C3 advocates for Owners to build projects with General and Specialty Contractors where all workers are hourly employees, who receive a Form W-2, are eligible to earn overtime pay, have OSHA safety credentials, are covered by worker’s compensation insurance and are provided Craft and Safety Training.
C3 advocates for Owners to build projects with General and Specialty Contractors where all workers are hourly employees, who receive a Form W-2, are eligible to earn overtime pay, have OSHA safety credentials, are covered by worker’s compensation insurance and are provided Craft and Safety Training.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A C3 PROJECT?
The Owners, whether private or public, designate the project as a C3 Project meaning that the General Contractor and all Specialty Contractors will comply with C3’s principles of Financial Health and Well-Being of the Craft Worker, Craft Training and Safety Training.
HOW DOES C3 DO THAT?
The C3 team works with the General Contractor on the project to ensure compliance with the requirements of the C3 Accreditation program through the verification of employers’ pay practices and the verification of safety credentials of workers on the project site. This is currently accomplished through the use of the C3 Training Database along with job site interviews of craft workers by the C3 compliance team. C3 also requires that Accredited Employers earn a Craft Training Endorsement.
WHO CAN SEE MY COMPANY'S WORKFORCE INFORMATION IN THE C3 TRAINING DATABASE?
Only the General Contractor on a designated C3 project and your designated administrators can access the information in the C3 database. The GC can see only the information attributed to those employees who are assigned to that particular C3 project for that particular GC. No other Specialty Contractors can see the information pertaining to your workforce in the C3 database.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE C3 PROGRAM?
C3 has a Board of Directors that oversees the C3 program. That Board is comprised of seven owner’s representatives, eight general contractors, five specialty contractors, three industry trade association executives, and two representatives from architecture firms.
HOW LONG HAS C3 BEEN IN EXISTENCE?
C3 was organized in 2009.
WHERE DOES C3 OPERATE?
We currently cover projects throughout the Greater Houston region. Additionally, the first C3 Project is about to begin in Austin.
WHO ARE THE OWNERS WHO ENDORSE C3?
- The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
- Texas Children’s Hospital
- Hines
- Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
- JLL
- Museum of Fine Arts-Houston
- Greater Houston Partnership
- Ronald McDonald House
- San Jacinto College
- Brookfield Properties
- Marathon Oil
- UT Health
- College of the Mainland
- S&B Engineers & Constructors
DOES THE PROJECT OWNER PAY A FEE?
No. General Contractors, Specialty Contractors and Staffing Agencies pay C3 accreditation fees.
HOW MANY CONTRACTORS, SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS, AND STAFFING AGENCIES HAVE C3 ACCREDITATION?
More than 400 of Houston’s best construction companies have C3 accreditation, including:
- More than 275 Accredited Employers including 26 General Contractors
- More than 130 Project Participants currently active on C3 Projects (In addition, many, many more companies have completed their work on C3 projects as Project Participants.)
- Seven Certified Staffing Agencies
DOES MY COMPANY HAVE TO APPY FOR C3 ACCREDITATION, AND PAY THE ACCREDITATION FEE, BEFORE IT CAN BID ON A C3 PROJECT?
No, a company is not required to have C3 accreditation, or pay the respective accreditation fee, until it is awarded the contract on a C3 Project. However, once your company is awarded a C3 Project it must fulfill all C3 requirements before its craft workers can begin work on it.
MY COMPANY IS A GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND A C3 ACCREDITED EMPLOYER. DOES THAT MEAN THAT ALL SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS WORKING ON ALL OF OUR PROJECTS MUST HAVE C3 ACCREDITATION?
No, C3 accreditation is required on C3 Projects only. However, C3 hopes that GCs will advocate the importance of having C3 accreditation to Specialty Contractors bidding on their projects.
CAN YOU PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION OF C3 PROJECTS?
Several major healthcare institutions in the Houston region are C3 endorsers and have projects that are under construction or have been completed. This is in addition to the construction of two new buildings for Museum of Fine Arts - Houston. Sixteen more C3 Projects for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston are either currently under construction or have been completed. Further, the renovation and expansion of Ronald McDonald House in the Texas Medical Center was a C3 project. Also, the Texas Tower, Project ION and Marathon Oil’s new corporate headquarters are C3 Projects as designated by Hines, and the just completed San Jacinto College Central Campus Welcome Center was a C3 Project too. JLL has had several corporate interiors projects, and Brookfield Properties designated that the Redevelopment of Houston Center and Heritage Plaza Lobby Renovation as C3 Projects. Finally, there have been 49 C3 Projects to date that are either under construction or have been completed, and C3’s first project in Austin will begin construction soon.
WHO DOES THE SITE COMPLIANCE VISITS?
C3 personnel conduct periodic job site visits and craft worker interviews to assure that all C3 accredited organizations (General Contractors, Specialty Contractors and Staffing Agencies) adhere to C3 requirements.
DOES C3 HAVE A POSITION ON IMMIGRATION?
C3 does not take a position on immigration or any other political issue. However, C3 does require craft and safety training for construction workers, no matter their country of origin.
HOW CAN A CONTRACTOR OR SPECIALTY CONTRACTOR BECOME ACCREDITED?
Information and applications are available on the C3 website at https://www.c3.org/apply.html
