Meeting_Body
REVISED
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
MARCH 27, 2025
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS HORVATH, HAHN, DUTRA, SOLIS AND YAROSLAVSKY
Meeting the Moment:
A Regional Approach to Realizing LA Metro's Workforce Equity Goals Motion
Related to Item 13: Female Participation In Project Labor Agreement/Construction Careers Policy Construction Projects
In February 2023, the Metro Board approved Motion 29 (Horvath, Mitchell, Bass, Solis, Hahn, and Dupont Walker) directing staff to commission a refresh of the Agency's 2019 Construction Workforce Disparity Study. The motion further directed staff to report back on the study's findings and recommendations; the potential application of cultural competency requirements in contractor and staff training and similar qualitative metrics that could be used in Metro's proposal evaluation and contracting processes; and the feasibility of creating bid preference incentives that can be applied to increase the number of women working on Metro funded construction projects.
In April 2024, Metro commissioned the Workforce Disparity Study, which aims to determine the availability and participation of female workers to meet the demand for future infrastructure projects, and address gaps in workforce diversity with a focus on increasing female representation. While Metro's female construction worker utilization (3.6%) exceeds the regional average (1.8%), it still falls short of the goal set by federal guidelines and adopted by LA Metro (6.9%). Women's participation varies significantly across different construction trades, with higher engagement in fields like laborers, electricians, and plumbers, but less in trades such as inspectors and operating engineers.
The study highlights numerous barriers to female participation, including challenges in recruitment, retention, and career advancement in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Women face difficulty accessing training opportunities and support networks, which affect their long-...
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