Since the NW2 project is federally funded, the contract sets diversity requirements. Almost 7% of the construction workforce must be women, and each trade, such as carpenters and electricians, must have 14.7% minority participation. The St. Louis Building Construction Trades Council is also expected to help military veterans find employment there through its Helmets to Hardhats program.
While minority participation requirements on a project-by-project basis could be higher, the federal government’s goal is to award at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars each year to disadvantaged small businesses, and those companies can demonstrate their eligibility by becoming certified through the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program.
