Most states are doing a "poor job" when it comes to offering on-the-job training and apprenticeship opportunities for women and minorities who want to work on major highway construction jobs, a study found.

The Transportation Equity Network report, titled "The Road to Good Jobs: Making Training Work," urged states to "break down historical barriers" to women and minorities seeking work on these major public works projects.

The report singled out the reconstruction of Highway 40 (Interstate 64) in 2008 and 2009 as a potential model for other states to follow when establishing on-the-job-training and apprenticeship programs.

"We found that the states that actually used on-the-job programs and use models like  the Missouri model are successful," Laura Barrett of the Transportation Equity Network said during an event in St. Louis.

The so-called Missouri model reserves 0.5 percent of project budgets for job training and apprenticeship efforts, the report stated, and pledging 30 percent of the work hours to the economically disadvantaged.

Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut and Minnesota scored the best for recruitment of women and minorities to the construction trades, the study found. Community organizing campaigns were waged in two of the states, Barrett said.

The report analyzed data for 2008 to 2010.

In Illinois, minority workers and Metro East leaders threatened the closure of the new Mississippi River bridge project before Illinois officials agreed to begin holding talks last month.

Illinois Department of Transportation officials were not immediately available today.

"I believe that there is a long way to go," said David Edwards, a minority general contractor in East St. Louis. "Basically, what we are looking for is  just equal opportunity. In other words, we want the same opportunity everyone else has to be a part of the funds that come through East St. Louis." 

Katie Jansen Larson, executive director of the Metropolitan Congregations United, said the success of the Highway 40 reconstruction showed that it should become a policy on all highway projects. 

"It works when you use it," she said.