Antonio Pérez President of BMCC and LMCCC Executive Director Robert Harvey

While the economy continues to fluctuate, there are a growing number of professionals looking to expand their construction-related skills to meet new demands. To help those men and women expand their skills, the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center’s (LMCCC) Opportunity Downtown program has partnered with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) to create the new Construction Cost Estimator Training Program.

The cost-estimator program aims 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.

“Lower Manhattan is in the midst of one of the biggest construction booms in our city’s history, despite the economic downturn,” said LMCCC Executive Director Robert Harvey. “We, along with BMCC, formulated this Cost Estimator Training Program after learning that this position is in demand in the current construction environment.” 

Funded by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through LMCCC, the inaugural Cost Estimator course is now underway with 19 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 have included regular job fairs, conferences, and training sessions.

“Building skills and experience is vital to ensuring that minorities, women, and veterans keep contributing to the Lower Manhattan rebuilding effort,” said the program’s Manager Beverly Bobb. “We’re proud that we’ve been able to respond to the market’s demand for more cost estimators, and that we could create a practical solution for teaching workers the technical skills they’ll need in the future.”

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