ABC of Michigan has confirmed our keynote speaker will be Governor Rick Snyder and a special guest speaker, Terri Lynn Land, candidate for US Senate, has also confirmed that she will join us at the 2014 ABC of Michigan Legislative Day on March 19th. Almost 20 lawmakers have also confirmed their attendance, with more RSVPs coming in every day!

ABC members who attend will have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers over breakfast to discuss the issues important to Merit Shop contractors. We plan to have the room filled with ABC members to show support for the governor and lawmakers. For that reason we purposely keep the per-member ticket cost as affordable as possible. But for this to be a success we need sponsors to allow us to keep the cost low and still make this a top-notch event.

Please consider sponsoring and attending this year. Sponsorships are sold on first-come, first-served basis. The top opportunities are going fast but there are still some available. The event is just over a month away on March 19th at the Radisson Hotel in Downtown Lansing. Remember, sponsors receive recognition at the event and are given premium seating with elected officials and special guests.

This year the event is morning-only, giving you the opportunity to be back at your office or job site for the afternoon.   

Please view the remaining sponsorship opportunities here and help us make this event a success for our membership and the Merit Shop construction industry in Michigan.

For additional information regarding registration click here or contact ABC of Michigan via email or by phone: (517) 853-2545.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Feb. 10 joined construction industry leaders from more than 100 companies in support of their pledge to employ 100,000 veterans in the next five years - a commitment that was made during the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Veterans' Employment in Construction National Symposium.

"ABC believes in supporting our troops by providing them with the employment opportunities available in the construction industry," said ABC 2014 National Chairman and President and CEO of Compass Partners, LLC Dan Brodbeck. "With a projected nationwide shortage of nearly two million workers, ABC is committed to filling this skills gap, starting with our veterans."

The construction industry is anticipated to gain roughly 1.6 million new jobs by 2022 while facing a lack of experienced laborers and the retirement of an estimated one-sixth of the current construction workforce. The pledge to hire more veterans in construction not only honors servicemembers' sacrifice in a tangible way, but also addresses the skills gap seen throughout the country.

First Lady Michelle Obama and DOL Secretary Thomas Perez announced the pledge as a part of an initiative to address the challenges and opportunities America's service members and veterans face when transitioning back into civilian employment.  

Training veterans and transitioning service members on industry recognized and nationally portable credentials are essential to ensuring they demonstrate employable skills that are valued by construction firms. NCCER has leveraged their Build Your Future campaign to provide exceptional resources for veterans interested in construction careers. Utilizing BYF's Military Crosswalk, veterans can identify how their Military Occupational Skill (MOS) codes align with NCCER's industry-recognized, portable credentials.

Gov. Rick Snyder's proposed fiscal year 2015 budget seeks to continue Michigan's comeback by "significantly investing in core priorities that will drive job creation, student success in the classroom, stronger communities, increased public health and safety, and tax relief for low- to middle-income families." The governor also offered a 2016 projected budget.

The recommended budget includes additional educational funding; funds to implement expanded Medicaid coverage; infrastructure improvements funding; funding to try to encourage jobs growth (including funds to help community colleges re-tool equipment for high-wage, high-skill and high-demand occupations); funding for seniors & Veterans services; creation of a state-level office focused on "attracting job-creating immigrants to Michigan"; increased public safety funding; additional funding for natural resources conservation; local government funding; and payments to the Budget Stabilization Fund (Rainy Day Fund) and Michigan Health Savings Fund. 

The goal is to pass the state's budget by June 1. The state's new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Details on the budget and specific dollar amounts numbers for each priority are available at michigan.gov/gov.