In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Gulf Coast faced a monumental rebuilding task. Confronted with a regional shortage of skilled craft workers, Bechtel and other members of the Business Roundtable created Gulf Rebuild: Education, Advancement, and Training, designed to train up to 20,000 workers by the end of 2009. By September 2007, two years after Katrina, more than 7,500 individuals had been trained, and 2,000 more were enrolled in classes.
Around the globe in diverse environments, Bechtel is forming similar collaborations with governments, communities, and customers to provide innovative training and on-the-job experience. For example:
In a Texas community severely lacking skilled workers, a project team maximized the community benefits of a refinery expansion by partnering with a local college to secure a $250,000 state grant, enabling hundreds of local people to receive basic crafts training.
On a Romanian motorway project, Bechtel provided more than 6,300 people with training in more than 100 subjects, enhancing local potential for economic evelopment.
A Bechtel training program in Oman, designed to help the government develop a culture of employment, has trained and employed more than 1,500 Omanis at an
aluminum smelter project, exceeding government goals.
By helping individuals develop the skills to participate in Bechtel projects and sustain their own development, Bechtel is meeting our goals of improving the sustainability of our business and that of the communities in which we work.
