This month we want to focus on Workforce Development. The Workforce Development Committee is tasked with showcasing careers in construction and the talents of our members. They are to build bridges between the industry and educators on skills needed and careers available for K-12 and post-secondary students. The committee and staff liaison have been hard at work for many years building those bridges.
Manheim, Pa, April 8, 2022— The Associated Builders & Contractors, Keystone Chapter is pleased to announce Cindy DeWire (Elizabethtown), Director of Apprenticeship, received her 30-Year Service Award at ABC National’s Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 17.
Manheim, Pennsylvania, March 18—ABC Keystone is pleased to announce two of the Chapter’s top apprentices won bronze medals in the trades of Carpentry and Electrical at the ABC National 2022 National Craft Championships (NCC). Award winners were announced at the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 17. The 33rd annual competition held March 16 showcased the skills and expertise of more than 175 of the nation’s top-performing craft professionals.
The construction industry is constantly evolving. To stay relevant, companies must continually grow their talent. Making employee development a priority within your company culture ensures your team stays well-informed on industry trends, recent developments, and best practices.
Offering professional development boosts employee engagement, lowers turnover and attracts the top talent you want as part of your growing team. ABC Keystone offers continuing learning opportunities to help nurture your staff and provides a path for their development as industry leaders.
Manheim, PA, March 2, 2022—Associated Builders and Contractors-Keystone Chapter is pleased to announce the Chapter has been chosen to host ABC National’s prestigious Project Management Institute (PMI) during the weeks of May 16 and July 19, 2022. The intensive, two-week Project Management Institute is developed by experienced contractors and Kirk Alter, professor emeritus at Purdue University and president at Fast Management, Inc., Indiana. Mr. Alter is a nationally recognized subject matter expert with decades of construction project management experience. Today’s contractors face unique challenges, and this education experience is tailored to provide tangible tools to improve profitability, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.
ABC Keystone provides training for you and your team! Visit our calendar page to discover the latest career development education and safety training programs from the Keystone Chapter and discover the top 10 reasons to train your employees!
One of the main focuses of ABC Keystone’s new three-year strategic plan is the continued expansion of our workforce development efforts. But first, we need to understand what ‘Workforce Development’ means. When I ask members for a definition, most say “getting people interested in our industry and then getting them employed.” Correct! However, that is just the first half of the concept. The second half is taking those that are already in the industry and continuing to develop them and grow their careers so we can retain them.
Career and Technical Education Month®, or CTE Month®, is “a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.”
Here at ABC, apprenticeship training is in full swing! Classes started last September, and the Shop/Training Lab at the Chapter facility has been busy with hands-on training during all our trade classes. While it is important that apprentices learn the theory of their trade and the “how’s and why’s,” it has been our main goal–while expanding our building and hiring full-time instructors–to increase hands-on education opportunities in every apprenticeship class. I would encourage you to check out our training facility if you are in the building and see first-hand what our classes have been learning.
With the start of a new year, there is always excitement over the goals and initiatives we set out to accomplish. Likewise, there are many exciting initiatives that we are working on at ABC Keystone for the upcoming year.
First, we look to establish the Inclusion, Diversity and Unity committee. Unfortunately, the construction industry has an image problem. For too long, it has been considered a white male profession. While attending the 2021 ABC Leadership Institute, we saw how other chapters are making significant inroads with the minority, women, Veterans and LGBT communities. As we look at an aging workforce, the answer must be attracting new talent to this industry. ABC Keystone and all ABC chapters should tell the story that construction is a great industry in which to work, you can make a good living, and it is an industry for all.
Manheim, Pa, December 13, 2021—The Keystone Chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) is pleased to announce the addition of Assembler, Pre-Engineered Buildings to the PA-Registered apprenticeship programs available through the Chapter. ABC Keystone worked with the Metal Building Institute to construct the program which was approved by the PA Department of Labor & Industry and accepted by the State Apprenticeship Council in September 2021.
As my year as Chair of the ABC Keystone Board draws to a close, I am filled with gratitude for our President-CEO Dave Sload, the entire ABC Keystone staff, and of course, our tremendous volunteers that give so selflessly to make our various events a reality. Likewise, I wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to my fellow Board members and the many Committees and Chairs whom I’ve had the pleasure of leading and serving this past year. Most of all, it was my honor and delight to serve the entire membership of over 530 companies in 2021.
Fall is a great time of the year! Not only does the fall bring crisp, cool weather, but the season also begins a new school year. ABC Keystone is excited that another year of apprenticeship classes has begun, and this year, we are educating 350 apprentices. The addition of four full-time apprenticeship instructors allows us to continue to enhance the quality of training for our apprentices and for their companies.
School is back in session, and that means workforce development opportunities are in full swing. September featured the start of a new pre-apprenticeship class and a new proprietary curriculum, Safety 360. This enhanced program is designed to increase a student’s exposure to applied math and provide additional context to construction safety, taking the total program hours from 60 to 84. Graduates will receive a completion certificate from ABC Keystone and an OSHA 30-Hour Construction credential. The fall class is also piloting a new schedule that divides training into two-hour segments, three days a week.
As we leave October and move into November, we have many things within our industry that we are celebrating. This past October was designated as Careers in Construction Month, and that was certainly something to celebrate. We continue to thank and honor you, the great individuals that make your career in construction. Without you, our country grinds to a halt. Without you, there is no need for trade associations like ABC.
