Annual Report 2011 - Skanska

owners and employeeshave completed the training175businessprogram so far.Small business trainingSmall businesses, companies headed bywomen and minority-owned companiesmay often find it difficult to land large constructioncontracts in competitive bidding.To improve the prospects of these companies,Skanska USA created a training programdesigned to give them managementtools enabling them to build financiallyviable enterprises capable of participatingeffectively in construction projects.The Construction Management BuildingBlocks program is unique. It was originallycreated to support participation of minority-and women-owned companies in thebillion-dollar MetLife Stadium project,completed in 2010. Skanska employees andlocal experts provide the education. So far175 business owners and employees havecompleted the training program.the aims of theLiving Building Challengeis to encourage net-zeroLBCAmongenergy and water use.A Living BuildingThe Bertschi School in Seattle, an independentschool with 400 students from preschoolto fifth grade, needed an additional sciencebuilding. Skanska served as a partner in thispro bono project, which was carried outaccording to the new guidelines of the LivingBuilding Challenge (LBC). Among otherthings, LBC encourages net-zero energy andwater use, which means producing as muchenergy and water as are consumed. The projectinvolved many in the local community,including the students at the school, who suggestedsome of the most striking features ofthe building, such as a glass-covered rainwaterharvesting channel under a classroom floor.12 Skanska's role in the community Skanska Annual Report 2011