Our Story
In late 2009, a group of Houston-area construction leaders gathered to discuss the development of an internet-influencing strategy that they hoped would attract young people to careers in the craft trades of the commercial construction industry. The craft workforce was aging because the Baby Boom generation was nearing retirement age, but it was not being replaced by young people entering the workforce for the first time. These leaders quickly realized that the challenge of attracting the interest of young people considering their careers was much more complicated than just a marketing campaign. They recognized that there were foundational issues that must be addressed in order to change the image of a career in the craft trades.
Among the attendees at the aforementioned meeting were three leaders of the Houston Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC-Houston), Tom Vaughn, incoming AGC board chair, Jim Stevenson, incoming AGC vice chair, and Jerry Nevlud, CEO. These gentlemen decided that AGC-Houston should lead the initiative that became known as Construction Career Collaborative, or C3.
Now, more than ten years later, C3 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, labor-neutral alliance of many Owners, Contractors, Specialty Contractors, design professionals and industry associations collaborating to establish a safe, skilled and sustainable craft workforce. C3 achieves this goal with a focus on construction safety, skills training linked to construction career paths and competitive talent management practices.
Among the attendees at the aforementioned meeting were three leaders of the Houston Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC-Houston), Tom Vaughn, incoming AGC board chair, Jim Stevenson, incoming AGC vice chair, and Jerry Nevlud, CEO. These gentlemen decided that AGC-Houston should lead the initiative that became known as Construction Career Collaborative, or C3.
Now, more than ten years later, C3 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, labor-neutral alliance of many Owners, Contractors, Specialty Contractors, design professionals and industry associations collaborating to establish a safe, skilled and sustainable craft workforce. C3 achieves this goal with a focus on construction safety, skills training linked to construction career paths and competitive talent management practices.
MILESTONES
- December 2009
- AGC-Houston makes decision to create organization to address craft workforce challenge
- 2012
- Five Beta Projects launched to prototype C3 model
- July 2013
- C3 Board of Directors meets for first time; C3 becomes Texas nonprofit
- December 2013
- Vaughn Construction submits application to become C3’s first C3 Accredited Employer
- January 2014
- JM Maly submits application to become C3’s first Specialty Contractor Accredited Employer
- February 2014
- C3 hires full-time executive director
- April 2014
- Sixth and final Beta Project completed
- May 2014
- C3 becomes a 501(c)(3) organization
- August 2014
- First C3 Project launches – 18th floor renovation of Feigen Building - Texas Children’s Hospital - W.S. Bellows Construction, Contractor
- C3 joins a new initiative of the Greater Houston Partnership, UpSkill Houston
- January 2015
- Second C3 Project breaks ground – Texas Children’s Hospital at The Woodlands with Tellepsen as Contractor
- March 2015
- Hines joins group of owners supporting C3 mission that include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, JLL and Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
- July 2015
- Zachry Industrial Office Buildout becomes C3’s first interiors project with JLL as owner’s representative and Harvey Builders as Contractor
- August 2015
- Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric Tower E Expansion begins construction with W.S. Bellows as Contractor
- September 2015
- C3 approves its 79th Accredited Employer
- December 2015
- Glassell School of Art for Museum of Fine Arts-Houston breaks ground with McCarthy Builders as Contractor
- C3 concludes 2015 with 107 Accredited Employers, 33 Project Participants and one Certified Staffing Agency
- Glassell School of Art for Museum of Fine Arts-Houston breaks ground with McCarthy Builders as Contractor
- January 2016
- Alkek Buildout for MD Anderson Cancer Center begins with Linbeck as Contractor
- March 2016
- C3 Craft Training Committee and C3 Safety Committee begin regular meetings
- March 2016
- Constructino begins on new corporate offices for the Greater Houston Partnership with Harvey Builders as Contractor, a C3 Project
- July 2016
- The Houston Chronicle publishes an op-ed written by C3 executive director, Chuck Gremillion, entitled Build a Better Culture for Construction Work
- September 2016
- C3 hires Compliance Manager
- September 2016
- Construction begins on MD Anderson Cancer Center West Houston with Linbeck as Contractor
- November 2016
- Brookstone begins construction on St. Mary’s Seminary, HVAC System Modifications Project, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s first C3 Project
- December 2016
- C3 concludes 2016 with 169 Accredited Employers, 67 Project Participants and seven Certified Staffing Agencies
- January 2017
- C3 Safety Committee launches C3 Safety Refresher Training
- May 2017
- Construction begins on MFAH Kinder Hall begins with McCarthy as Contractor
- June 2017
- C3 hires People Development Program Manager to lead its craft training and talent management initiative
- October 2017
- C3 hires Operations Administrator, its fourth team member
- December 2017
- C3 concludes 2017 with 243 Accredited Employers, 123 Project Participants and seven Certified Staffing Agencies
- July 2018
- Gilbane begins construction on Texas Tower, Hines’ first C3 Project
- December 2018
- C3 moves into its new offices as part of renovation of AGC-Houston’s building, a C3 Project with Marek as Contractor
- C3 concludes 2018 with 269 Accredited Employers, 113 Project Participants and nine Certified Staffing Agencies
- January 2019
- C3 hires its second People Development Manager, its fifth team member
- February 2019
- Harvey Builders begins construction on Repositioning of Houston Center, Brookfield Properties’ first C3 Project
- May 2019
- Westfall Constructors completes its first C3 Project for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, St. Theresa Catholic Church Renovation & New Classroom Building with perfect compliance report
- June 2019
- Vaughn Construction begins construction of University of Texas Health Science Center Continuum of Care Campus, a C3 Project
- August 2019
- Gilbane begins construction on The ION, Hines’ second C3 Project
- September 2019
- Construction begins on Proton Therapy Center II, MD Anderson Cancer Center’s 7th C3 Project
- December 2019
- C3 achieves significant milestone as its 102nd construction company earns a C3 Craft Training Endorsement
- Harvey Builders begins construction on new corporate campus for Marathon Oil, Hines’ third C3 Project
- C3 concludes 2019 with 272 Accredited Employers, 126 Project Participants and four Certified Staffing Agencies
- March 2020
- Construction begins on C3 Projects #46, #47, and #48
- Westfall Constructors begins construction on the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s 16th C3 Project, St. Matthias Catholic Church
- September 2020
- Construction begins on C3 Project #50, St. Mary's Seminary New Dormitory for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston with Axis Builders as Contractor
