波士頓經濟發展辦公室網上會議訊息

Economic Development

INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS Tuesday, December 15 The City of Boston will be hosting webinars on Tuesday, December 15 to provide guidance and answer questions from business owners. All of the webinars will be available live on the Office of Economic Development’s Facebook page and will have simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. 9 a.m.  General Guidance Overview: register here. 10 a.m. Restaurant Guidance Overview: register here.  11 a.m. Fitness & Gym Guidance Overview: register here. 12 p.m. Tourism, Arts & Culture Guidance Overview: register here. Updated guidance can be found on boston.gov/reopening. See below for more details on this guidance. MAYOR WALSH TO JOIN WEEKLY SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE CALL on Tuesday at 3pm! Please join us TOMORROW, December 15th at 3:00 pm for our weekly small business conference call featuring reopening guidance, support services, and resources available to Boston's small businesses, as well as take your questions. Register in advance: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B12DiEy2QZK0e3LjC71yQQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. You may also view the webinar and submit questions on Facebook Live! UPDATED GUIDANCE In an effort to reduce the further spread of COVID-19 and its impact on Boston’s health care system and essential services, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that effective Wednesday, December 16, the City of Boston will return back to a modified Phase Two, Step Two of the Reopening Massachusetts plan. Boston has been experiencing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases among its residents since Thanksgiving, with the citywide positive test rate at 7.2 percent for the week ending on December 6, 2020, up from 5.2 percent for the prior week. The percentage of occupied adult non-surge ICU beds at Boston hospitals is at 90 percent as of December 10, 2020. Returning to a modified Phase Two, Step Two requires the closure of certain businesses designated as Phase Three. Gatherings in private and public settings are required to have no more than 10 people for indoor settings and 25 people for outdoor settings. To register for tomorrow's (12/15/2020) 9am General Guidance Webinar on all of these changes, please register here or you can watch Live on Facebook. FITNESS CENTERS & HEALTH CLUBS All Fitness Centers and Health Clubs must close starting Wednesday. One-on-one personal fitness training may continue indoors by appointment only and is only permitted for one client per indoor space, at one time. Outdoor fitness classes may continue with a maximum of 25 people (including staff). Updated guidance can be found on www.boston.gov/reopening Register for Tomorrow's (12/15) 11 a.m. Fitness & Gym Guidance Overview Webinar here. RESTAURANTS No bar seating will be permitted without strict approval from the Boston Licensing Board.  To obtain approval, please fill out this application. Background music and use of TVs are permitted. Background music and use of TVs are permitted. Updated guidance can be found at www.boston.gov/reopening Register for Tomorrow's (12/15) 10 a.m. Restaurant Guidance Overview Webinar here. TOURISM, ARTS & CULTURE Live streaming of performances and non-audience activities are permissible. If you anticipate more than 10 people participating (staff, performers, etc.) you must contact arts@boston.gov to discuss your COVID-19 safety plan and obtain approval. Outdoor theaters and outdoor performance venues may continue to operate within the 25-person capacity limit. Updated guidance can be found at www.boston.gov/reopening Register for tomorrow's (12/15) 12 p.m. Arts & Culture Guidance Overview Webinar here. Small Business Office Hours Every Friday! Call in anytime between 9-11am and 2-4pm and our Small Business Team will answer any questions or help you connect with the correct agency. Every Friday 9-11am or 2-4pm Join by Video Call by Phone: 661-543-0141 (PIN: ‪116 952 328#) MWBE Certification Office Hours Every Wednesday! Join the Equity & Inclusion team for Office Hours every Wednesday for businesses interested in direct-support to apply to become certified as an MWBE.  Every Wednesday from 11am - 1pm Sign-up here: https://bit.ly/MWBEcertificationhelp Information Needed: SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY #10! Please take a moment to fill out the latest Small Business COVID-Response Survey: http://bit.ly/survey10bos #TakeTheTestBoston Boston and our country are facing an increase in COVID-19 positive rates, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the spring. As we head into the months ahead, it’s critical we all come together to look out for one another and our community, and take steps to stop the spread of COVID-19. A key part of stopping the spread is testing. While earlier this year tests were hard to come by, Boston has expanded access to testing, and we are now encouraging all residents to get tested -- and especially those who are going outside their home for work or other reasons. But there’s a problem: not enough people are taking advantage of our resources and getting tested. Residents with no symptoms can still be infected with COVID-19 and transmit the virus, according to the CDC. We need more residents to get tested, and those that are interacting with others in any setting should consider getting tested on a regular basis. For that reason, we are inviting all Boston employers to take a pledge in support of increasing testing access for their employees. We encourage businesses and employers throughout Boston to join us, by making sure their employees know when to get tested, how to get tested, and have access to the resources they need to take care of their own and our collective public health. Take the pledge to #GetTheTestBoston, and provide the resources your employees need to get tested, stop the spread of COVID-19, and avoid a setback in our reopening process. To Learn More To receive the latest updates from Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston, please visit boston.gov/coronavirus. Text BOSCOVID to 888-777 for free daily updates in 11 different languages.

波士頓宣佈16日起倒退回第二階段第二步驟

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES BOSTON TO TEMPORARILY RETURN TO MODIFIED PHASE TWO, STEP TWO OF REOPENING PLAN New measures taken to mitigate spread of COVID-19 and protect hospital capacity   BOSTON - Monday, December 14, 2020 - In an effort to reduce the further spread of COVID-19 and its impact on Boston's health care system and essential services, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that effective Wednesday, December 16, the City of Boston will return back to a modified Phase Two, Step Two of the  Reopening Massachusetts plan. Mayors and city leaders from Massachusetts are joining Boston in announcing similar restrictions in their cities and towns, including Arlington, Brockton, Lynn, Newton, Somerville, and Winthrop.  "Unfortunately, we are at the point where we need to take stronger action to control COVID-19 in Boston, and urgently, to ensure our health care workers have the capacity to care for everyone in need," said Mayor Walsh. "We are hopeful that by reducing opportunities for transmission throughout the region, we will reduce the spread of this deadly virus and maintain our ability to keep critical services open. We continue to urge everyone to take personal responsibility and follow the public health guidelines while visiting any public space or business, and employers to allow their employees to work from home as much as possible. Together, we will be able to get this virus under control, save lives, and ultimately come back stronger."  Read the Boston Public Health Commission's "Order Establishing Supplemental COVID-19 Restrictions in the City of Boston." The City of Boston had been in Step One of Phase Three of the Reopening Massachusetts plan since July 6, 2020. Boston has been experiencing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases among its residents since Thanksgiving, with the citywide positive test rate at 7.2 percent for the week ending on December 6, 2020, up from 5.2 percent for the prior week. The percentage of occupied adult non-surge ICU beds at Boston hospitals is at 90 percent as of December 10, 2020. Returning to a modified Phase Two, Step Two requires the closure of certain businesses designated as Phase Three. Gatherings in private and public settings are required to have no more than 10 people for indoor settings and 25 people for outdoor settings.  The following industries in the City of Boston are required to close starting Wednesday, December 16 for at least three weeks:  Indoor fitness centers and health clubs, including gyms using alternative spaces. One-on-one personal training sessions are allowed. Movie theaters Museums Aquariums Indoor recreational and athletic facilities (except for youth 18 and under) This does not apply to collegiate or professional sports. Collegiate sports teams in the City of Boston may continue to use indoor recreational facilities and fitness centers. Indoor pools may remain open for all ages under pre-registration format structure limited to one person per swim lane.  Indoor recreational venues with potential for low-contact (batting cases, driving ranges, bowling alleys, rock-climbing)  Sightseeing and other organized tours (bus tours, duck tours, harbor cruises, whale watching) Indoor historical spaces & sites  Indoor event spaces (meeting rooms, ballrooms, private party rooms, social clubs) Private social clubs may continue to operate, if they serve food, consistent with restaurant guidance. Indoor and outdoor gaming arcades associated with gaming devices The following industries in the City of Boston may remain in operation with the following restrictions in place starting Wednesday, December 16 for at least three weeks:  Office spaces may remain open at 40 percent capacity. Employers are strongly encouraged to allow employees to work from home as much as possible.  Indoor dining in restaurants may remain in operation with restricted bar seating. The 90 minute limit on seatings to reduce crowding and prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be strictly enforced. No member of any dining party may remain in a restaurant for more than 90 minutes in any calendar day. Ancillary activities such as pool tables, darts, trivia, etc. are prohibited.  Bar seating is prohibited unless express written approval is issued by Boston's Licensing Board, after licensees submit a Bar Seating Plan for review and approval.  Indoor non-athletic instructional classes in arts, education & life sciences for persons 18 years and older may continue to operate within the 10-person capacity limit.  Outdoor event spaces used for gatherings and celebrations within the 25-person capacity limit, including those in parks, reservations, and other outdoor spaces not designated in Phase Four. Outdoor theaters and outdoor performance venues may continue to operate within the 25-person capacity limit. Motion picture, television and streaming production may continue to operate.  "Right now, we need to use every tool in our public health and healthcare toolboxes to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," said Manny Lopes, President and Chief Executive Officer of the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. "The vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel, but just because help is on the way does not mean the fight is over. For ten months, Mayor Walsh and his team have followed the data and acted in the best interest of the residents of the City of Boston. I applaud him for continuing this strategy and look forward to mobilizing in support of our shared battle against COVID-19." As a reminder, the following State orders remain in effect to reduce the transmission of the virus:  Face coverings order: face masks or cloth face coverings are required in all public places, whether indoors or outdoors, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.   Travel order: all visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents are required to: Complete the  Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless visiting from a  lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health. Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts.  Stay-at-Home Advisory: residents of Massachusetts are advised to stay home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Boston has been steadfast in its commitment to supporting the small business community. The  Reopen Boston Fund, still accepting applications, has issued $3.1 million to more than 1,700 businesses to help with the expenses of safely opening and operating businesses, and is still accepting applications. In total, nearly $6.7 million in debt-free grants have been distributed to over 1,850 small businesses in every neighborhood across the City of Boston through the Office of Economic Development's  Small Business Relief Fund. Last month, the City launched three new funds totaling $6.3 million that will support small businesses in Boston that have been affected by COVID-19, focusing on commercial rent relief, supporting certified women, minority, and veteran owned small businesses, and restaurant relief. And to further assist the City's small businesses, the City of Boston has  created a list of suppliers to help businesses source the personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies required to ensure the safety of employees and customers as industries reopen.  The City of Boston will be hosting webinars on Tuesday, December 15 to provide guidance and answer questions from business owners. All of the webinars will be available live on the  Office of Economic Development's Facebook page. Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese simultaneous interpretation will be available for all of the webinars and small business conference calls.  9 a.m.  General Guidance Overview: register here.  10 a.m. Restaurant Guidance Overview: register here.   11 a.m. Fitness Centers & Health Clubs Guidance Overview: register here.  12 p.m. Tourism, Arts & Culture Guidance Overview: register here.  3 p.m. Small Business Conference Call: register here.  To better support arts organizations facing financial losses, canceled programming, and closures caused by COVID-19, the City of Boston established a $1 million Arts and Culture COVID-19 Fund, which awarded grants to 146 small and mid-sized arts and culture nonprofits to adapt their programs, spaces, and operating models. Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, the City of Boston in partnership with Boston Center for the Arts (BCA) have also awarded grants totaling over $330,000 to over 600 artists as part of the Boston Artist Relief Fund, which was established to support artists whose creative practices and incomes were adversely impacted by the pandemic. Starting today, the Boston Public Schools (BPS) welcomed an additional 1,700 high needs students for in-person learning across 28 schools. Students prioritized for in-person learning include students in special education programs and students with limited or interrupted formal education. For more information, please visit bostonpublicschools.org For more information about Boston's reopening, please visit boston.gov/reopening. For additional questions or programs, please visit our coronavirus website or call 3-1-1, Boston's 24-hour constituent hotline. Text BOSCOVID to 888-777 to receive text alerts on a regular basis, available in 11 languages.

波士頓科技組推廣2030跨世代年輕學者方案 最高補助額1000萬元台幣

波士頓經文處科技組與波士頓台灣人生物科技協會合辦「2030
跨世代年輕學者方案」說明會。(BTBA提供)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州綜合報導)科技部今年推出最高每年補助台幣1000萬元，可持續四年的「2030跨世代年輕學者方案」。駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處科技組近日在兩個麻州本地活動中提醒青年學者，新年度申請截止日期為2021年1月4日上午9時。

                   科技部的這「2030跨世代年輕學者方案」，以45歲以下，或者獲得博士學位後，任教或做科研未滿5年的年輕學者為對象，分「新秀學者」，「優秀年輕學者」，「國際年輕傑出學者」等三類，發給每年不超過台幣500至1000萬元，可持續四年的補助，鼓勵他們探索新興議題，做大膽嘗試。

波士頓科技組與BTBA網上會議。(科技組提供)

               駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處科技組組長謝水龍，日前先後在「iTaiwan窗口」，以及和波士頓台灣人科技協會(BTBA)合辦的活動中，說明方案內容，鼓勵大波士頓青年學子把握機會。

                  波士頓台灣人科技協會的這場活動，約有160人參加，波士頓科技組組長謝水龍和科技部綜規司司長林廣宏都出席和與會者互動。BTBA會後還把科技部10月份攝製的方案說明會錄影(https://youtu.be/VMUzr0D9TpE)上傳臉書網頁，廣告週知。

波士頓科技組在iTaiwan窗口活動中報告2030跨世代年輕學者
方案。(周菊子攝)

                  在「iTaiwan窗口」這場40餘人參加了的活動中，謝水龍還介紹了科技部在全世界有17個據點，前身為國科會，有促進國家科技發展，產學協力合作等等四大任務的組織架構。

                  謝水龍指出，台灣有許多優勢，包括有全球第一的晶圓代工業，IC設計產值全球第二，PC產品產值全球第三，在資訊硬體生產上，全球第二等等。根據2018年的全球競爭力(WEF)報告，台灣在140個國家中排名第13，創新能力則排在亞洲第一，全球第四，僅次於德、美、瑞士。

                  在創業資源上，科技部設立的台灣科技創新基地(Taiwan Tech Arena, 簡稱TTA)，已經引進比翼資本等6家科技新創加速器，正在孵化，扶持台灣150家，國際122家的共272家新創企業，累計募集資金台幣30.8億元。

                    目前科技部積極推動跨域合作，尤其是智慧機械、亞洲和矽谷，綠能科技、生醫產業，國防產業+新農業、循環經濟的5+2產業創新，以及精準醫療健康，數位轉型，資訊安全，下世代半導體，太空產業，先進的AI/5G/6G新世代網路建設等六大科技發展趨勢。

成立於2018年12月的波士頓科技組，有著與轄區內高等科研機構合作，推動5+2創新產業鏈結，推動科技部專案，培育人才與交流，科技外交，轄區科技社團鍊結等六大任務。

波士頓科技組組長謝水龍在活動中還說明了科技部持續推動中的博士創新之星計畫，海外人才橋接方案，鼓勵有興趣申請的人和該組聯絡。(更新版)

移民子女尤煜琳(Jocelyn Yow) 成加州最年輕市長 轄管東谷市

加州最年輕市長尤煜琳(Jocelyn Yow)，2019年獲選為
Norco學院榮譽校友，她家還在校內設立了獎學金。
(圖片取自Norco學院網站。

             (Boston Orange 編譯)年僅25歲的尤煜琳(Jocelyn Yow)日前宣誓上任，成為加州河畔郡(Riverside)東谷市(Eastvale)歷來最年輕的有色人種市長。

             尤煜琳是移民子女，父親越南裔，母親來自馬馬西。她在加州聖荷西(San Jose)出生，之後隨家人搬到馬來西亞，高中畢業後才和全家人回到美國，並於2011年搬到東谷市定居。她自己六個月前才喜獲麟兒。

             尤煜琳進Norco學院就讀後，很快成為最年輕的學生會會長，參加了榮譽項目，成為加州社區學院系統的榮譽學會(Alpha Gamma Sigma)成員，其後取得社會及行為科學副學士學位，再轉進加州大學柏克萊分校，取得學士學位。目前她還在哈佛大學校外課程繼續修讀政府學碩士。

             尤煜琳儘管年輕，從政經歷卻頗為豐富，曾經擔任過加州參議員地區代表，聯邦眾議員助理。她目前還是全國性非牟利機構，致力協助婦女當選重要職位的IGNITE的政策經理。

             2018年她23歲時當選並成為為東谷市最年輕市議員，去年擔任代理市長，今年當選為市長。

             她在當選感言中表示，政府做影響務家庭的相關決定時，納入年輕女性，以及母親的觀點很重要。她本人將是加州政府中擔任市長的最年輕有色婦女，希望有更多年輕女性及母親會步上她的後塵。

             東谷市本身是一個頗新，同時很年輕的城市，2010年才成為城市，2020年的全市人口估計為6萬8390人，在加州城市規模中排名第130，年紀在24歲以下的就佔了40%有多。其中亞裔站26.11%。該市的平均家庭年收入為127,731元，中位租金為2586元，房屋的中位價格為547,800元。

12月12日新冠疫情 新增確診麻州4968 美國244,011 世界593,207 全世界今日新冠死亡人數9,949

            (Boston Orange 編譯)新冠病毒(COVID-19)疫情到12月12日仍在持續。麻州確診人數新增4968，累計274,897。新增死亡47人，累計11057。

            麻州公共衛生廳報稱現有67,754人在接受新冠病毒治療，住院人數為1,670。

            新做病毒檢測的人有99,719，累計947萬。新做抗體檢測的有3635人，累計296,649。

            麻州的七天平均確診率為5.6%，最低時為0.8%。若把大專院校檢測項目也包括在內，這比率將升高為7.67%。

            七天平均的住院人數為1563人。一天之前是1529人。最低時是140人。

            全世界各國疫情最嚴重的仍是美國，巴西，印度，俄國。

美國疫情最嚴重的各州則是加州，德州，佛羅里達州。新增確診案單日超過1萬的，在12月12日這天除，前述3周之外，還有俄亥俄州，賓夕法尼亞州。麻州在疫情嚴重程度上，逐步前進，從幾天前的排名第22到今日的排名第19。新增死亡人數最多的則是密西根州，有233人。

美國在這天的單日新增死亡人數為2085人，和次多的墨西哥693人相比，幾乎是3倍。

 

麻州長反對容許16、17歲青少年自主墮胎

             (Boston Orange 編譯)麻州州長查理貝克今(11)日簽了459億元的2021會計年度的麻州預算案，但是退回了預算案中要擴大麻州墮胎途徑的條文，聲稱他不能支持准許16、17歲的人在沒有父母同意下墮胎。

             波士頓環球報指出，在麻州議會交給他簽署的預算案中，查理貝克退回了17條，要求議會修改。關於青少年墮胎是其中1條。

             麻州議會通過的條文將把不須父母同意接受墮胎的年齡，從18歲降至16歲，同時准許懷胎24週後診斷發現胎兒有致命性異常，或醫生決定胎兒無法在子宮外維持生命時墮胎。

             該法案還進一步的把墮胎權納入州法。這是民主黨議員聲稱，最高法院新保守派成為大多數的新形式，對Roe v. Wade的全國性墮胎合法判決形成威脅，誓言保護墮胎權的行動。

            共和黨籍支持墮胎權的查理貝克在一封信中告訴議員們，他支持該法案的幾個部分，包括”確保婦女在孩子出生後無法生存的情況下，得以墮胎”。

             他說，"不過，我不能支持這段條文擴展所及的其他方法，包括晚期流產，以及准許16歲及17歲青少年在沒得到ㄖ父母或監護人同意下墮胎等。

12月11日全世界新冠確診累計人數打破七千萬大關 新增確診麻州5475 美國203,229 世界626,162 全世界又有11394人死亡

             (Boston Orange 編譯)12月11日，在第二波新冠病毒疫情高揚之際，麻州因此死亡的人數，新增47，累計1萬零10人。如果加上疑似因新冠病毒而死的人，累計總數會增加到11,257。

              根據聯邦疾病防治局(CDC)的數據，美國則是新增死亡人數2760，累計已近30萬人，現為291,522人。美國累計新冠確診人數為1547萬4800，新增確診人數203,229。

             在約翰霍普金斯大學的新冠病毒疫情統計塗上，在12月11日這天，全世界的累計新冠病毒患者人數打破7000萬大關，達到70,058,867人。全世界因染患新冠病毒而死亡的人數也達到了159萬622人。

                根據約翰霍普金斯大學的數據，美國的染患新冠病毒累計人數為15,782,055，累計死亡人數為294,144，比聯邦疾病防治局的數目高些。

              Worldometer的統計數據，又比約翰霍普金斯大學的統計數據再高些。在12月11日這天，Worldometer的統計數據為全世界的累計確診人數71,343,355，新增確診個案626,162，累計死亡人數1,599,462，新增死亡人數11,394。

                  根據麻州公共衛生廳數據，再12月11日這天，麻州的新增確診人數也高達5,475，七天的平均新增確診人數為4639，累計確診人數已達269,929。

目前估計有65,741人因染患新冠病毒，正在治療中，約1605人住進醫院了。

這天做了新冠病毒檢測的人有99,181，累計已達937萬。新作抗體檢測的有2344人，累計也有293,014人。其中有不少人做過不只一次檢測。

麻州的七天平均確診率現在是5.7%，最低時這數據只有0.8%。

麻州政府說，如果大專學生檢測項目的結果也加進去的話，這平均確診率會增加到7.78%。在大專學生檢測項目中，無症狀者可重複檢測，以快速辨認新個案。

因新冠病毒住院的七天平均數，也從1498人增加到1529人了。這指標在最低時，只有140人。

同一時間，在麻州水資源局系統(MWRA)中包括波士頓的北邊，發現的新冠病毒蹤跡輕微了些，但南邊卻增至新高點。

根據麻州水資源局資料，無論是北邊或南邊，偵測到的病毒都高過今春。麻州官員以此評估病毒大流行的走向，這也在10日檢測中反應了出來。

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR SERIES AND CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOSTON RESIDENTS IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR SERIES AND CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOSTON RESIDENTS IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY   City of Boston and Greater Boston Building Trades Unions team up for coordinated virtual career fair series      BOSTON - Friday, December 11, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, and the 20 affiliate unions of the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions today announced their first-ever virtual career fair on Tuesday, December 15 at 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.. The virtual career fair will be the first in a series of virtual events that the coordinating groups are planning in order to promote great careers available to Boston residents in the local construction industry. No prior construction experience is required to attend. Participants can register online for the December 15 fair at: https://constructioncareerfair.eventbrite.com. The next virtual career fair is expected to take place in Spring 2021.   "As we continue to tackle the ongoing challenges brought on by COVID-19, the need has never been greater to create pathways to success by connecting residents with well-paying and fair job opportunities," said Mayor Walsh. "I'm proud to launch this career fair series in partnership with the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions, and I encourage all interested residents to attend no matter your experience in the construction industry.    This City Hall Construction Career Fair will focus on employment opportunities in the current  City Hall Plaza renovation project. In addition, it will supplement a number of ongoing recruitment efforts aimed at attracting Boston residents, women, and people of color to the industry, such as Building Pathways, Build a Life that Works, Tradeswomen Tuesdays, among others, all of whom will have representatives and recruiters at the career fair.     The virtual event will provide attendees with the ability to meet one-on-one and in groups with recruitment and training officials from the area's leading construction unions as well as contractors currently working on the renovation of City Hall Plaza. When attendees enter the virtual event they will be able to click on virtual "tables" and meeting rooms to convene with those officials in order to discuss career opportunities, including free registered apprenticeship programs.   "Union construction jobs in Boston are fantastic -- top of the line training, great pay, benefits, you name it. The problem is, historically, they haven't been available to everyone," said Travis Watson, Chair of the Boston Employment Commission (BEC). "This intentional effort by Mayor Walsh in partnership with the Boston Building Trades to simplify the process of joining a construction union is a significant step toward a more racially equitable industry."   "I'm excited to help get the word out about these great union careers," said Dominique Cave, Boston Resident, Building Pathways Graduate, member of Plumbers Local 12. "I first learned about construction through Building Pathways and now I'm working as a union plumber. I'm learning the skills that will help me build our skyline, our community, and my future. I'm proud to be an example to other women that these careers can be a great fit for them too."   The event will also coincide with the launch of a multi-media campaign and new website from the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions that also aims to raise awareness about career opportunities in the Greater Boston construction industry. That campaign, entitled "Build a Bright Future", will include multimedia and multilingual advertising blitz that includes the launch of television, billboard, social media, and radio ads.   "A career with the building trades unions provides fair wages, excellent healthcare, and a dignified retirement, while learning the skills in the most comprehensive and sophisticated training programs in the world," said Brian Doherty, General Agent of the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions. "There are two important and related parts of our mission in the Building Trades Unions: to ensure every construction job is a good job, and to ensure that everyone has access to them."   Attendees are urged to join the virtual career fair and to visit BuildABrightFuture.org to learn more about rewarding careers in the Building Trades Unions - including excellent training, fair wages, and leading health and retirement benefits.   "We are being intentional about expanding access and opportunity to rewarding union careers," said Doherty. "This is all part of our efforts to make this information as widely available as possible, so people will see it and take advantage of it. We will be promoting this information through a wide range of digital platforms to spread the word."    The City of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, the building trades unions, and their partner union contractors, have all worked together to implement the highest safety standards with regard to COVID-19. This virtual event is in the spirit of that joint work to continue creating opportunity and economic prosperity safely through this key industry for as many Boston residents as possible.   WHEN: Tuesday, December 15, 4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.    WHERE: Register here https://constructioncareerfair.eventbrite.com or visit BuildABrightFuture.org to learn more. The virtual career fair will be using the Remo live video platform. A link and instructions on how to access the career fair will be provided to all who RSVP through this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-hall-construction-career-fair-tickets-131153304063.    WHO:   Mayor's Office of Economic Development Boston Public Facilities Greater Boston Building Trades Unions Building Pathways Build a Life that Works Northeast Center for Tradeswomen's Equity Youth Build Shawmut Design and Construction About the Mayor's Office Of Economic Development   The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shared prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors.    About the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions   The Greater Boston Building Trades Unions represent 35,000 working families throughout the Greater Boston region. Together, we advance social and economic justice by providing family-supporting wages, healthcare benefits, and dignified retirement benefits to workers and their families. We are an umbrella group of 20 local construction unions, in partnership with more than 3,300 union contractors, that provide the highest standards for workers in the construction industry. Through collective bargaining and the Labor-Management partnership, workers achieve the highest levels of training, safety, and economic security throughout their careers. The Council strives to create a more fair and just environment for all workers in the construction industry.   ###