Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) toured the site of Knife River Corp.’s future training center where the company will house education and training programs for its construction-materials and construction-industries workforce.
Rep. DeFazio, who chairs the influential House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is one of Congress’s most outspoken and ardent supporters of infrastructure, and the architect of the recently passed one-year FAST Act extension.
The House-passed H.R. 2 also included important workforce development legislation known as the BUILDS Act, which provides federal grants for industry partnerships that foster workforce development programs. (H.R. 2 was not passed by the Senate and has not become law.)
Construction has begun on the center, which includes a 16,000-sq.-ft. building that will focus on delivering technical-career education, and a 200- x 400-ft. dome for indoor equipment and skills training. The training center is for Knife River employees and those interested in construction-related careers.