National Center for Construction Education and Research Joins with Monster to Address Skill Shortage in Construction Industry

GAINESVILLE, Fla. and MAYNARD, Mass., Jul 07, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- New co-branded site will provide career resources for employers and job seekers in construction industry

The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and Monster(R), the leading global online careers property and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), today announced the formation of an alliance to provide customers a one-stop online career resource center for the construction industry.

This co-branded destination accessible via both the NCCER (www.nccer.org) and Monster (www.monster.com) websites, will focus on the vast and rewarding employment opportunities available in construction. Site visitors can:

-- search Monster's database of local and national construction jobs;

-- build a resume with Monster's easy-to-use Resume Builder;

-- create a job search agent that automatically retrieves relevant job listings;

-- access up-to-date information about the construction profession, including tips on wages;

-- find useful links for teachers, students and parents researching careers in construction.

Employers looking to hire construction workers in their local communities will benefit from Monster's job posting function, which allows them to easily and cost-effectively find and attract ideal candidates.

"We must address the skills shortage by reaching out to our young people and expanding career training opportunities to them," says NCCER President, Don Whyte. "By joining forces with Monster we are empowering people worldwide with the opportunity to search construction jobs, research education requirements and credentials needed, find out how much money can be earned, and learn about the overall industry."

The U.S. construction industry is the world's largest industry, employing 6.9 million people. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that between 2002-2012, the U.S. will need approximately one million skilled workers to fill construction jobs. In addition, the construction industry has shown a significant growth in online job postings over the past year, according to results of the Monster Employment Index*. Monster's dedicated channel for job seekers in the construction trades will include the resumes of more than 300,000 candidates with relevant construction experience. For job seekers, who currently perform more than 3.5 million "Construction" job searches on Monster each month, the new co-branded channel will provide useful, up-to-date information about a career in the construction industry.

"The construction industry is an important cornerstone of the U.S. economy, employing approximately 5.2 percent of all workers, according to recent industry statistics from the BLS," said Steve Pogorzelski, President of Monster, North America. "We are excited to align with NCCER and provide career resources to this significant and expanding workforce."

-- For information on the Monster Employment Index or to view the most recent report, please visit: http://www.monsterworldwide.com/Public_Relations/index_US.html

About Monster

Monster is the leading global online careers property. A division of Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST), Monster works for everyone by connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading employers across all industries. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Maynard, Mass., Monster has 25 local languages and content sites in 23 countries worldwide. More information is available at http://www.monster.com/ or by calling 1-800-MONSTER. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading employer products and services, please visit http://recruiter.monster.com.

About NCCER

The National Center for Construction Education and Research, affiliated with the University of Florida, is a not-for-profit education foundation and is the leading source of craft training, management education and safety resources for the construction and maintenance industry. For additional information on NCCER, contact the Customer Service Department at 888-NCCER-20 or visit www.nccer.org.

SOURCE: Monster

NCCER
Don Whyte, 352-334-0911
dwhyt@nccer.org
or
Monster
Michele Greenberg, 978-461-8384
michele.greenberg@monster.com
or
Weber ShandwickWorldwide
Lauren McDonald, 617-520-7116
lmcdonald@webershandwick.com