How We Became C3
Since 2009, C3 has been committed to bringing stakeholders together to advance the craft workforce. We are proud of the work we have accomplished advancing the industry.
C3: Necessity is the Mother of Invention
We started in Houston when a group of local construction leaders gathered to find solutions to a growing problem of not having enough skilled workers to support construction jobs. These meetings led to the development of a strategy to attract young people to careers in the craft trades.
It became clear that the challenge was much bigger than attracting people to the industry; there were foundational issues that involved all industry stakeholders. These issues needed to be addressed by bringing owners, contractors, and managers together to identify solutions.
The initiative became known as the Construction Career Collaborative, or C3.
More than a decade later, C3 has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, labor-neutral alliance of owners, contractors, specialty contractors, design professionals, and industry associations. These groups are committed to developing a safe, skilled, and sustainable craft talent pipeline.
2009
- C3 began as an alliance of Houston-area construction leaders.
- Houston construction leaders created an organization to address workforce challenges.
2012
- Launched 5 beta projects to prototype the C3 model.
2013
- C3 Board of Directors met for first time; C3 became a nonprofit.
- Vaughn Construction became our first C3 Accredited Employer.
2014
- JM Maly became our first Specialty Contractor Accredited Employer.
- C3 hired our first Executive Director, Chuck Gremillion.
- The first beta C3 Project launched at Texas Children’s Hospital.
2014-2022
- Logged 23+ million man hours for all C3 Projects.
2018
- Launched the Craft Training Endorsement Program.
- Hosted first construction-related hiring event.
2019
- Introduced the #SHEbuildsHouston career exploration event with Aldine ISD.
2020
- Hosted our sold out 10th annual Golf Classic tournament fundraiser.
2021
- Received a multi-year grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
- Appointed Angela Taylor as new executive director.
2022
- 76 projects designated as C3 Projects since 2014.
2023
- More than 550 total roster of stakeholders in our program.
