Courtesy of Bacon Development
The Wharf will hold a Phase 2 Construction Job Fair for DC residents, on Friday, Jan. 24, from 10:00 a.m.-Noon in Southwest DC (www.wharfdc.com). In partnership with the DC Department of Employment Services, Councilmember Charles Allen, and the DC Housing Authority (DCHA), the Job Fair will be held at the DCHA DC EnVision Center/Southwest Family Enhancement & Career Center, 203 N St. SW.
Phase 2 construction began 8 months ago, and since that time Balfour Beatty and its subcontractors, with a small number of highly skilled workers, have been excavating the site and constructing the garage. In the Spring of 2020, vertical construction will start, and construction activity will increase significantly. At peak time, there will be about 1,800 people working on-site in a full range of jobs, in all aspects of construction.
Phase 2 contractors have been selected and they are subject to First Source requirements of the District. Fifty-one percent of new hires and new apprentices must be DC residents. There is an additional requirement unique to these new hires at The Wharf: 20% must be from Ward 8; 30% of new apprenticeships must be filled by DC residents residing East of the River, and contractors “shall use good faith diligent efforts to hire Southwest residents.”
The Wharf Prime Contractors, Balfour Beatty, Donohoe, and DPR are fully committed to working with The Wharf and its community and service provider partners, as well as the District Government, to maximize opportunities for DC residents. They are eager to participate, along with their subcontractors, in the upcoming Job Fair. Balfour Beatty has an excellent hiring record at The Wharf. During Phase 1 of construction, for example, 53% of new hires and 54% of new apprentices of Balfour Beatty and its subcontractors were DC residents –exceeding First Source requirements.
Elinor Bacon, Wharf partner who oversees First Source and Workforce programs, said, “In Phase 1, with the support of our partners, The Wharf contractors hired 643 DC residents and 235 DC resident apprentices. We are proud of our accomplishments, and, with support from our public and community-based partners, we look forward to meeting or exceeding our Phase 1 construction hiring achievements in Phase 2.”
Building Futures offers pre-apprenticeship training through a special program developed by The Wharf in cooperation with the DC Housing Authority, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), and the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES). During Phase 1, a total of 31 Building Futures graduates received jobs at The Wharf. A representative of Building Futures will attend the Job Fair on Jan. 24.
As Phase 2 progresses, additional Job Fairs will be held both in Southwest DC and East of The River. Information on subsequent jobs events will be forthcoming.