| VOLUME 11 , NUMBER 18 |
PUBLISHED EVERY OTHER FRIDAY |
|
Nov 7, 2003 |
By William J. Dagendesh
Contributing Writer
Nine hundred paying jobs face the chopping block if the community doesn’t plan now to market highly skilled workers following the destruction of the Pueblo Chemical Depot’s mustard agent stockpile a decade from now.
According to city leaders, the loss could have a devastating impact on Pueblo’s economy and leave hundreds of skilled employees without a steady income. As such, area businesses and government agencies are being asked to help keep the Bechtel boom from becoming a Bechtel bust.
Bechtel, who won an estimated $1.5 billion contract to destroy the five million-plus pounds of mustard agent, established a business networking gold mine with its first-ever Industry Day here during the summer of 2002.
Numerous businesses and individuals expressed interest in the project, and the 104-year-old, San Francisco-based company proposed to hire between 80 to 85 percent of its work force from the community.
John Schlatter, public involvement manager for the Bechtel-Pueblo team, said as many as 1,200 people could be hired to build the destruction plant but that the workforce needed to operate the plant will probably drop to about 900 workers.
Schlatter said it will take about two years to build the plant and that the plant will be operable in about three to five years. Then, the plant will be dismantled once the munitions are destroyed.
The personnel who are hired to build the plant and perform operational duties will lose their jobs following completion of the project. To prevent the loss from happening, city leaders and Bechtel-Pueblo team representatives are looking at ways to convert a highly skilled workforce to other jobs after the munitions are destroyed and the destruction plant is torn down.
"Pueblo will benefit economically from the project which Bechtel has been commissioned to design, build and operate; however, what will Pueblo do once these jobs go away? As such, we need to ensure these workers have other jobs to go to once these jobs go away. We’re working with local leaders to see what we can do to make that transition," Schlatter said.
Schlatter added the key component is to look at the workforce as an asset the community can use to attract employers who need highly skilled workers. Schlatter said Bechtel can be part of the answer to the problem, but that community leadership must put the solution into motion.
"From Bechtel’s perspective, we can be a catalyst for this discussion; however, this needs to be a community-led effort because the community will suffer the ramifications long after we’re gone," Schlatter said.
Pueblo County Commissioner John Klomp and City Councilman Randy Thurston are seeking help from government agencies and local businesses in working toward a solution. Bechtel and the U.S. Army’s Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives also are assisting in the effort.
According to Klomp, Bechtel, through the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation (PEDCo), wants to market qualified employees’ resumes to attract other businesses in relocating here. Klomp said Bechtel and PEDCo will begin the task within the next five years.
"Not having a well-trained workforce has always been one of Pueblo’s biggest shortcomings – until now. I think this will put Pueblo at a new level in which we will have the same highly skilled employees many high-tech companies seek when relocating into a community. A significant amount of dollars will flow into the community as a result of the demil project; however, we have to plan for our economic future and not just enjoy the short-term impact of having a lot of money in our pockets," Klomp said.
A Public Involvement Working Group meeting is scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Pueblo Convention Center.
City leaders hope the meeting will result in a community-wide effort to lay the groundwork to attract new industries that can put citizens to work once the demil project is completed.
Klomp said the meeting should determine what entities will assist in the decision-making process. Meetings will be held next month and in early 2004 to discuss sustainable development.
"Pueblo will design its own sustainability program as we have a different infrastructure and business needs. All businesses and anyone concerned for Pueblo’s future economy is invited to attend these meetings. As a community we have to be smart as to how we use the infrastructure and opportunities Bechtel gives us so that our community can grow. We have to look now at how we can use that infrastructure to promote economic growth in the future.
Pueblo City Councilman Randy Thurston said the federal government, through partnership of Bechtel and the Department of Defense, also is working to come up with something they believe will benefit the community.
"It’s important to attract high-tech companies so we can keep the educated workforce in the community after Bechtel leaves. We want our educated and highly skilled people to attract new companies requiring these skills from their employees. We’re also concerned as to how we can best reuse and recreate the land following completion of the demil project.
"This will be a community-driven and executed effort. This meeting will be the starting point of recruiting local citizens, educators, businesses, companies and government entities to start pooling their thoughts and resources. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to work together for the good of the community. We would be foolish not to take advantage of it," Thurston said.
The demil project is expected to be completed by 2013. Once completed, the depot will no longer be used to house military weapons or serve as a military operations base.
