By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Minority construction firms believe a new program launched Tuesday will give them a boost when competing for contracts.
The initiative, known as ACCESS, is meant to consolidate the training and educational efforts of businesses, schools and unions.
The transit agency Metro is a major partner in the project. President and CEO Larry Salci says the approach will help create realistic minority participation percentage goals.
"Up until now it's been, we set a goal, we ask contractors to make it, if they don't make it they have to prove good faith that they didn't, Salci said. That good faith is the objective/subjective debate that everybody goes through. This we hope will take away that subjectivity."
The collaboration will be housed in an office at Washington University in St. Louis.