The Bluegrass Small Business Development Center will host a 10-week program offering instruction to women and minority business owners who wish to compete in the construction industry. Registration is open until Dec. 24, and classes will begin on Jan. 12.

The Minority and Women Training Program began in 2001 as a way to increase construction opportunities for women and minority business owners and has graduated more than 100 entrepreneurs statewide.

The program will cover topics that include business planning, contract law, insurance and performance bonds, accounting and financial statements, drawings and specifications, bidding and estimating, and cash flow analysis. Participants will acquire the necessary tools to grow their businesses and have an opportunity to network with one another, building relationships they can draw upon in the future.

The program is sponsored by the Kentucky Small Business Development Center, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Fifth Third Bank, Blue Grass Airport, Messer Construction Company, the Fayette County Public Schools, the University of Kentucky Facilities Management, Commerce Lexington and Lextran.

Coordinated by LFUCG and KSBDC, classes will be held weekly from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. EST on Tuesdays. Minorities or women with a 51 percent ownership in a company in the construction or construction-related industry are eligible for the program. The cost is $100 for companies accepted into the program. A boxed dinner is provided each night.

For more information on the Minority and Women’s Construction Training Program, contact Shirie Hawkins at smack3@ksbdc.orgor register online at http://www.ksbdc.org/lexington-minority-and-women-contract.

The Kentucky Small Business Development Center, part of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is a network of 17 offices located throughout the state that helps existing and start-up businesses succeed by offering high quality, in-depth and hands-on services. The KSBDC is a partner program with the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information on KSBDC services, visit their website, http://www.ksbdc.org/.