Antonio Pérez President of BMCC and LMCCC Executive Director Robert Harvey at the 2009 graduation

Building on its successful inaugural year, the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center’s (LMCCC) Opportunity Downtown program is again offering the Construction Cost Estimator Training Program.

A joint offering with the Borough of Manhattan Community College, part of the City University of New York, the cost estimator course is intended to encourage minority, female, and veteran participation in the downtown rebuilding effort -- helping them upgrade their skills and increase their earning potential, as well as helping to diversify the construction industry.

“Despite the economic downturn, Lower Manhattan is in the midst of one of the biggest construction booms in our city’s history,” said LMCCC Executive Director Robert Harvey. “We, along with BMCC, are offering this training program again, after determining that positions in Cost Estimating are still in demand.” 

Funded by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through LMCCC, Cost Estimator course is now underway with a dozen new students from diverse backgrounds. On a construction job, the cost estimator collects and analyzes data -- such as equipment, materials, labor costs, business climate, and logistics -- to forecast the scope, duration, and budget of a project. Construction knowledge, mathematics skills, and critical thinking are part of the BMCC program’s curriculum.

“Not all construction work is done with a bulldozer, a drill, or a crane,” said Governor David Paterson. “The cost estimator’s job is to figure out how much a construction project will cost before any cement, sheetrock, or steel is actually put in place. Their role in the construction process is critical to the bottom line of the project and I am pleased that women, minorities, and veterans are being trained in this important field.”

The new course is part of several initiatives led by the LMCCC’s Opportunity Downtown program, which include job fairs, conferences, and training sessions.

“The cost estimator class provides technical skills and training to prepare students for challenging careers in the construction industry,” said the program’s Manager Beverly Bobb.  “The minorities, women and veterans who go through this program could play important roles in Lower Manhattan rebuilding and many other construction projects.”

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