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Untapped Resources -- Unlimited Power

Education & Career

To curb the impact of the future labor shortage in the construction industry, companies, associations and industry leaders are tapping into women workers.

(ARA) - Currently, women workers make up nearly 10 percent of the construction industry or more than 900,000 nationally. No longer restricted by gender stereotypes, women are working as architects, engineers, project managers, masons, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, welders and in other construction careers. As the industry looks increasingly to women workers as a viable solution to labor shortages, the number of women in construction continues to rise -- building an even richer and more distinguished history.

Inevitably, the face of the construction industry work force is changing. It is up to industry leaders to recognize this change and reach out to the rising number of women entering positions once occupied only by men.

According to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), between 1995 and 2003, the number of women in construction increased 18 percent, growing from 762,000 to 975,000. However, this number accounts for less than 10 percent of the more than 9 million men employed in the construction industry in 2003. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey, women accounted for only 9.6 percent of the entire construction industry work force in 2003.

NAWIC works with its partners such as Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Small Business Administration and more, to advance the status of women working in the construction industry. Construction associations and companies across the United States are now implementing programs that encourage women to consider careers in construction.

A labor shortage of 250,000 workers per year is predicted for the next four years -- that's more than one million missing workers by 2009. Women represent an untapped resource with unlimited power -- the industry must begin to recognize the changing face of construction and reach out to women to fill the inevitable void.

Women can fill this void by expanding their minds through continued education courses and construction-related certifications. The NAWIC Education Foundation, in conjunction with Clemson University, offers three certifications: Certified Construction Associate, Construction Document Specialist and Construction Industry Technician. The Foundation also offers an "Introduction to Construction" course and environmental health and safety courses through Summit Training. Online business-related courses designed to further women's roles professionally will also be offered through NAWIC in the future.

Another avenue for increasing women's involvement in the industry is by introducing them to the work force through apprenticeship programs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship programs are designed to provide the skilled workers needed to compete in a global economy. By definition, "apprenticeship" is a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation. Joint employer and labor groups, individual employers and/or employer associations usually sponsor apprenticeship programs.

NAWIC has helped women in the construction industry for 50 years. The association hopes to continue to live up to its core purpose: to enhance the success of women in the construction industry. Through its programs, NAWIC offers opportunities for networking, mentoring, education and career advancement. To learn more, visit NAWIC's web site at www.nawic.org.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Got Spring Fever? New Gardening Products for Green Thumbs

Family & Pets

(ARA) - As spring approaches the itch to get out of the house and get your hands dirty will become a full-blown rash. But while you're confined to thumbing through flower and seed catalogs, those who grow the flowers, plants and shrubs are stoking a fever of their own, creating a whole slew of new green goods.

This spring the emphasis in gardening will be on ease, convenience and results. New to the market are exotic annuals, patio ready plants, lightweight containers, and of course, dependable and disease-resistant roses.

Patio Ready Plants

Create an instant "patio ready" solution with color and long lasting appeal with the Raymond Evison Patio Clematis Collection. Each plant comes in a decorative pot ready for your patio, deck, balcony or front porch.

Compact and showy, these container clematis are covered up and down the entire vine with richly hued flowers, creating a striking tower of color from spring through fall. Once enjoyed for the summer, they can be planted in the garden in fall and will spread like a ground cover.

New Stars in the Garden

Looking for a great low-maintenance rose for your garden? Why not choose The Pink Knock Out Rose, a color sport of the breakthrough The Knock Out Rose. Pink Knock Out blooms profusely and thrives in very humid climates, where most other roses need spraying.

Other new roses include Elle, a hybrid tea AARS winner that produces long-stemmed shell pink roses with deep yellow undertones or White Drift, the first compact rose ideal for hanging baskets. With pure white blooms and a strong spicy fragrance, this rose is sure to turn your neighbor's heads.

Specialty Annuals

New annuals from Simply Beautiful can easily be integrated into your garden to complement perennials and shrubs. Try Simply Beautiful Kong coleus this year with its gigantic multi-colored leaves for the shade or Simply Beautiful Fusion Infrared exotic impatiens for containers.

And don't forget your Wave Petunias! Easy Wave Red, the first true red in the Ride The Wave petunia family, is phenomenal in garden beds where they can spread up to a whopping 3 feet. Try any of the Wave petunias for instant impact without any fuss.

Vincas return in a big way this season with Simply Beautiful's Titan series, sporting gigantic flowers in seven colors including Polka Dot, Punch and Lavender Blue Halo.

Contain Yourself

So you don't have the time or space for a full-size garden? You can still get the flavor and feel of getting your hands dirty, and create elegant accents inside and outside your home with one or more of the latest designer containers from Campania International.

"This new line of container and styles reflects our desire to match specific styles with different parts of the home both inside and out," says Peter C. Cilio, vice president of product development. "The different types of materials easily fit together to form an overall, different look."

New products on the market include COTTO-Lite and LEAD-Lite Containers, which are lightweight alternatives to lead or terra cotta containers. Made from clay and other naturally found materials, these planters are durable and resistant to frost and ultra violet rays.

Give Your Plants a Boost

Whatever you plant, give your flowers, shrubs and even vegetables a head start with Messenger from Eden Bioscience. This revolutionary new plant care product is like a vaccination for your plants, turning up their own immune system to help produce more flowers and fruit and increase overall plant health. Environmentally safe, this breakthrough product increases disease resistance and growth. Spray Messenger on throughout the growing season, and watch it boost your plants performance both indoors and outdoors.

Where Can I Find All These Plants?

Imagine having an entire plant encyclopedia at your fingertips so that you could find the perfect shrub to fill that corner spot in your yard; or find the exact color of blue that would make any perennial a focal point in your garden this year. Then imagine finding a garden center near you that carries those plants -- all at the click of a mouse, and better yet, all for free!

Introducing Virtual Plant Tags -- The Searchable Plant Database, from Green Industry Yellow Pages. Now, using the search power of GIYP.com, you can find plant cultural information, photos and all the nurseries and garden centers that sell/grow them!

Well, if that rash has turned into a fever by now, that's understandable. It's shaping up to be one heckuva of a garden party this spring!

For information about other new plants coming out this spring, please visit www.GardenMediaGroup.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Easy Dinners for Busy Families

Food and Entertaining

(ARA) - After a long weekday, a family dinner is the perfect time for everyone to reconnect and share the news of their day. However, in today's busy world, with both parents working and children involved in extra-curricular activities, gathering everyone to sit down for a meal can be daunting. Equally challenging is having enough time to prepare a delicious, homemade meal for dinner.

Luckily, there is help for busy families. From prepared supermarket dinners to frozen meals, there are a number of ways to get dinner on the table even if you don't have all day to cook. High quality, prepared dishes are a great way to minimize cooking, while maximizing family time.

One great tip is to buy salad ingredients from the salad bar at your local grocery store instead of cutting up all the vegetables yourself. Another tip is to prepare the main course at home, but buy side dishes at the deli. Or, buy the main dish in the frozen section at the supermarket and make a quick, easy homemade dessert to complement the meal.

For example, Pepperidge Farm has introduced three new flavors of premium pot pies, which are perfect for a family dinner. And with a variety of flavors, every member of the family can choose their favorite, such as chicken primavera with garlic and herbs, creamy alfredo chicken and broccoli and chunky chicken parmesan.

Orchestrating a family dinner should be a team effort. While dinner is cooking, enlist the kids to set the table. Clear away homework, mail and any other clutter from the dinner table. When it comes to dinnerware, using formal dishes is always elegant, but to cut down on the clean up time, use quality paper plates. After all, it's the conversation that counts, not the china.

So turn off the television and the cell phones, put dinner on the table and spend some time enjoying food and family.

Here are two quick, easy and delicious dessert recipes to add to your menu for those nights when time is short:

Easy Apple Strudel

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Preparation time on this satisfying dessert is just 10 minutes, but be sure to allow time to thaw the puff pastry sheets (do this while you're working on the main course).

• 1/2 package Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Mix egg and water and set aside.

Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 16-inch by 12-inch rectangle. With short side facing you, spoon pie filling on bottom half of pastry to within 1 inch of edges. Starting at short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with egg mixture. Cut several 2-inch-long slits 2 inches apart on top.

Bake 35 minutes or until golden. Cool on baking sheet on wire rack 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm. Serves 6.

White Chocolate Mousse Pastries

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These pastries need to chill for an hour, so have them in the refrigerator while you enjoy dinner.

• 1 package Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pasty Shells
• 6 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 square (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Bake pastry shells according to package directions. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.

Microwave white chocolate and 1/4 cup cream on high for 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Beat remaining cream with electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Fold half of the whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream just until blended. Spoon into pastry shells. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate 1 hour.

To drizzle chocolate, place chocolate in a heavy-duty zipper-style plastic sandwich bag. Close bag tightly. Microwave on high 45 seconds or until chocolate is melted. Fold down top of bag tightly and snip a tiny piece off one corner. Holding top of bag tightly, drizzle chocolate through opening.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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Give Your Kitchen a Facelift Without Spending a Small Fortune

Home Improvement

(ARA) - Planning to remodel your kitchen this year? If so, you're in good company. According to a recent survey done by the National Association of Realtors, 22 percent of first-time homebuyers and 11 percent of repeat buyers are planning kitchen projects this year.

The remodeling industry can thank the country's rapidly aging housing stock for the expected increase in business. Homes that were built in the 1980s are now hitting the typical 25- to 30-year life cycle in which improvements begin to be needed.

If you're among the thousands of Americans planning a kitchen remodel this year, a good place to start is by formulating a budget. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the average kitchen remodel costs about $27,000.

Here's a look at the breakdown as compiled by Remodeling Magazine's annual "Cost Versus Value Report." A new sink will run you between $100 to $200 for stainless steel and $200 to $2,000 for cast iron. Faucets cost between $60 and $100 for a basic chrome, two-handle faucet to $300 and more for faucets with increased functionality features or high-end finishes, such as nickel or bronze.

You can expect countertops to account for between $2,000 and $6,000 of your budget. Laminate and ceramic tile typically costs $10 to $50 per square foot; solid-surfacing or engineered stone between $100 and $200 per square foot; natural stones, such as marble or granite $150 and up per square foot.

Depending on which appliances you plan to replace, they can cost from $350 for a new state-of-the-art microwave to $3,500 for a new, top-of-the-line refrigerator. You also have to take into account the costs of re-doing the electrical, moving pipes if necessary and the cost of labor for the installation.

But by far, one of the biggest expenses you'll face will be replacing the kitchen cabinets. They could easily account for half your budget. When it comes to replacement cabinets, stock are the most inexpensive way to go. They cost $50 to $200 per linear foot, and are available right off the shelf at your local home improvement store. Style options and features are limited, and because they only come in a few select sizes, they rarely work in a remodeling situation. Out of frustration, a lot of people immediately start looking into custom cabinets, which can cost up to five times more; but there is a more prudent option.

You can specify semi-custom cabinets, which are manufactured to buyer specifications for size and interior fittings. These days, one brand that's getting a lot of attention from builders and home remodelers is Canac.

"What sets this brand apart is the method of construction," says company spokesman, Mark Johansen. "Canac's construction method provides full-access to the space inside because these cabinets are constructed without face frames. The drawers are inherently wider, offering considerably more storage space over framed cabinets. Access to larger items, like pots and pans, is not hindered by structural obstructions, meaning users don't have to reach around center stiles or over face frames in a cumbersome manner to remove larger items."

Full-access cabinets have the added benefit of being easier to clean. There are no corners or crevices, so dirt, dust and crumbs that tend to collect on other styles of cabinets are all but eliminated.

Canac offers more than 50 different cabinet styles and more than 400 door style/color combinations as well as myriad accessories to personalize your kitchen or other livable space in the home. "Full-access cabinets are design neutral, meaning Canac can create kitchens that include great detailing and decorative accessories typical of a traditional kitchen or something quite minimal and contemporary in appearance," adds Johansen.

Almost all of Canac's cabinetry is sold direct to new home builders and remodelers through an exclusive associate dealer network and corporate showrooms across North America. For more information, visit CanacKitchens.com or call toll free at (800) CANAC-4-U (1-800-226-2248).

Courtesy of ARA Content

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