"American Indians have new opportunities to learn the skills needed for long-term careers in the construction industry with a new training partnership announced today by labor and American Indian leaders.

The AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) and a coalition of Native American Indian Tribal Councils have created the Native Construction Careers Institute (NCCI). Mark Ayers, BCTD president and NCCI co-chairman, says the BCTD’s unions are "immensely proud to be a part of the NCCI and to work with tribal leaders to provide the much-needed training and expertise that will enable thousands of young Native Americans to secure careers as skilled craft professionals. We are confident that this project will foster a deeper level of understanding, respect and admiration among and between the organizations and people involved in this important endeavor."

The NCCI’s other co-chair, Conrad Edwards, is a member of the Colville Tribe and president of the Council for Tribal Employment Rights (CTER). That group represents the 300 tribes and Alaska Native Villages that have established Tribal Employment Rights offices. He says the unions will bring "training onto the reservations, recognize tribal sovereignty and accept any training graduate who wants to become a union apprentice. Without question, they provide the world’s best skilled craft training, and they are now bringing that expertise to us.""

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AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Partners with American Indian Councils (AFLCIO Blog 9/23)