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The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners last week voted to create the Construction Diversity and Equity Fund to pay for apprenticeship and retention programs for groups that have long been underrepresented in the construction industry.

The new fund will receive 1 percent from county remodeling projects with budgets greater than $200,000 and new construction projects that cost more than $1 million. The new policy will take effect July 1.

The county has undertaken more than $750 million worth of construction in the past few years, including approximately $324 million to replace the Sellwood Bridge. Officials said that in the past three years the county has undertaken no fewer than 38 remodeling projects that were worth $200,000 or more.

Money from the fund is intended to pay for pre-apprenticeship programs in the construction trades, employee retention programs and other supports for minorities and women in the industry. It will also support small certified businesses with technical aid and training in bidding, mentoring and other office support roles.

Portland YouthBuilders, a nonprofit that provides pre-apprenticeship training for low-income youth, was cited at the March 15 board meeting as an example of what the new fund would be backing. And with only 32 percent of women and 33 percent of minority apprentices continuing to the journey level, according to the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council, additional retention efforts are important in backing up that initial education.

鈥淗ighly skilled construction jobs are a ticket out of poverty,鈥� Bill Kowalczyk, a former carpenter and teacher for Portland YouthBuilders, told county board members.

The county has already been working to boost minority participation in construction through the creation of labor agreements for major capital projects. The agreements include diversity hiring requirements.