Brian Johnson
April 19, 2019 at 1:17 PM
After a couple of high-profile jobs in state government, Jessica Looman has returned to her roots in the construction trades.
Looman recently spoke with Finance & Commerce about issues such as the construction labor shortage, efforts to bring more young people into the construction industry, and wage theft. …
You previously served as general counsel for the laborers’ union. Did it feel like a homecoming when you took over as executive director of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council?
Yeah, a lot of people have been welcoming me back, which has been really fun. I started my professional career in the labor movement – first in Washington, D.C., and then here in Minnesota. And then I went to law school and when I got out of law school, I became the general counsel for the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota, which is the construction craft laborers union. That was a wonderful experience.
I think the combination of my work as general counsel for one of the larger building trades unions, and then particularly the great experience I got as a public servant in Minnesota, really brought me to where I am today.
What are some of your priorities as executive director?
We want to continue to develop public and private investment in infrastructure and construction. We see that we have a role in economic development of Minnesota, our communities and our economy. That includes growing our construction services sector.
The second goal is, how do we make sure we are bringing new people into the construction industry and the construction trades? And how do we make sure we are increasing our diversity, increasing our inclusion?
We currently have about 10,000 registered apprentices that are participating in building trades apprenticeship programs. About 20 percent of those are people of color. That is something we have been focusing on and trying to increase. And we continue to work in the space around workforce development. That includes increasing the number of women in the construction trades.