Articles Directory | Free Articles | New Articles Daily | The Legend behind Increase in Minority Hiring In Government Contract Jobs

The government is one of the major sources of employment and contract jobs. That is why most people apply for jobs because they know the government has enforced the minority hiring policies to prevent discrimination when getting the jobs. It is possible for the government to work with contractors to pool the workforce that will see the projects run smoothly and as expected. Since contractors are involved with on the field recruiting of workers, they can ensure the minority hiring policies are followed. Sometimes, unions and organizations that have a bigger grip on the workforce in the region the project is taking place influence contractors, and this affects the recruitment process. These bodies can make one community or group get more jobs instead of making it a fair ground for all people to try their luck. These unions can politicize the recruitment process making contractors shy away from the minority hiring policy for fear of loss of future contracts or hostility from the unions.

As one small contractor charged with the responsibility of scouting for potential employees found out, the rest of the workforce does not have any problem with assimilation of other people into the job market. Sherman Turner tells about his experience when he started out in the field of plumbing. Through his book, Minorities Deceived, he documents how he got into the trade and the experiences working as a small contractor, who was expected to enhance minority hiring by working in collaboration with the big contractors. This opened opportunities for people to be assimilated into jobs originating from government contracts. This minority hiring process was a cycle that would see all parties benefit.

For example, the workers would join organizations meaning that unions would have a national outreach, while workers and their families would get sustenance. The government would get sufficient workforce and the big contractors would win more contracts. However, the main problem, as Sherman Turner discovered, was ensuring that the contractors would stick to the policies and minority hiring was never side stepped or overlooked. The concern was that contractors would walk out of the arrangement and this meant the needs and wants of the workers would be ignored and essentially, minority hiring would cease to exist.

Turner is one of the few who influenced the minority hiring policies that are still being followed in contract jobs today. He would hold meetings with government officials, especially the ones from the Small Business Administration (SBA) that was on the forefront in advocating for minority hiring. Turner would bid for contracts in order to have a bigger part of the marginal groups take up positions in the government contract jobs. This is because they had the qualifications and the skills to ensure they did a good job, but most contractors did not feel a thing about minority hiring. He has several awards to his name including the Contractor of the Year Award and the Martin Luther King Community Service Award. It is all about giving those with the skills and credentials an opportunity despite the fact that they come from marginal communities in the society.