LEAD By Example The foreperson holds the key to developing tomorrow’s workforce By / Natalie Bruckner Photos courtesy of Nic Bittle
There is no role in construction that can garner quite as much criticism and stress as that of foreperson, yet none requires such a wide range of skills including diplomacy, leadership, and occasionally, babysitting. “The foreperson also plays such a large role in profitability for our contractors,” says Kyle Tibbs, executive vice-president at SMACNA St. Louis. “When a foreperson has been given the tools to succeed, both labor and management benefit. We [SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36] feel equipping our forepersons with the right tools can only help our industry, improve market share, and sustain our contractors and workforce into the future.” That’s why SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36 work closely together to ensure forepersons have the necessary support and training needed to succeed—because if they succeed, everyone succeeds. “Being a foreperson ultimately means responsibility,” says Ray Reasons, a member of Local 36. “We have a lot of people who won’t even entertain the idea anymore because of this, so we are exploring ways to tap into 12 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
that culture to demonstrate how they can advance themselves financially and personally. We want to show them that they have our support and won’t be thrown in at the deep end.” While SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36 have done a great job in developing apprentices and making them journeypersons, they are ramping up their efforts and have taken the next step in employee development to fill the management level gap. “As representatives of our contractors, we must be ready to fill their needs, and as Baby Boomers retire, we will need skilled and trained journeypersons and managers,” Tibbs says. Part of that training includes teaching its members about generational divides, cost-awareness, and management techniques. SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36 also invite experts into their JATC to speak to members and offer a different perspective. One of the most recent seminars held at the JATC Training Center was A Foreman’s Guide To Developing Your Workforce, presented by Nic Bittle. “We have brought in speakers like Nic Bittle to help bridge that generational gap between Baby Boomers and our incoming workforce,” Tibbs
