MANAGEMENT: Beyond Skills Training

Mentoring craft professionals and developing future jobsite leaders

By Tracy Bennett

In honor of its anniversary, SEAA reflected on the issues that faced steel erectors over the last 50 years, asking for insight from several of its past presidents. Improving the work environment by focusing on safety and training has always been at the core of the organization, which is evident in the money, expertise, and time the association has committed to ironworker craft training over the years.

Tom Underhill, retired, (SEAA President 1997-1998 and Executive Director 2012- 2020) explained that in the late 1990s the association committed $125,000 to The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) to update its ironworker curriculum.

“During my time as Executive Director, SEAA reconnected with NCCER to start the SEAA Craft Training program,” said Underhill.

The program gives member companies access to nationally recognized credentials for ironworkers, riggers, crane operators, and signal persons. Because of SEAA’s affiliation with NCCER, members also have access to all of NCCER’s craft training materials, assessments, and certifications.

“The SEAA/NCCER training program gives member companies access to quality training and workforce development tools that are beneficial for companies of all sizes,” said Tim Eldridge, President of Education Services Unlimited and SEAA’s Craft Training and Assessment Administrator. “If you’re a small company, this program can connect you with the resources you need to jumpstart training while keeping the cost down. For larger companies, the program can streamline training,” he said.

When asked what lessons from the past could positively affect the future of the steel construction industry, Josh Cilley, President of American Steel & Precast Erectors, Greenfield, N.H., and ASPE-South, (SEAA President 2016-2017), responded that protecting workers is key.

“The emphasis should be on doing things the right way, factoring in safety. You can always afford to make safety a priority. We owe it to the industry to provide a safe work environment for everyone,” said Cilley.

Craft training essentials

Training doesn’t happen by chance. It must be a formal process. According to John Garrison, there are five essential elements necessary for workforce training to be successful. Garrison, (SEAA President 2001-2002), who is retired from Garrison Steel Erectors, Inc., Pell City, Ala., remains involved with the Ironworker Skills Institute, which he founded.

1. Curriculum. “SEAA’s efforts helped immensely in that regard, initially by providing funding and subject matter experts for NCCER to create an ironworker curriculum, and later in the development of a custom program that specifically met the needs of steel erection employers,” recalled Garrison.

2. An appropriate venue in which to train.

3. Students. This is why recruiting is so important, explained Garrison. Unlike the dilemma of the chicken and the egg, Garrison says there is no question about which should come first. “In my opinion, it is a waste of time and money to recruit people if you don’t have a strong training program ready for them to enter once they have been hired,” he said.

4. Money. Funding is a given. It takes time and resources to maintain workforce development initiatives. In today’s tight labor market, spending money on workforce development should be considered an investment in your business, not just simply a cost of doing business. This is what makes your company safer, more productive, and able to deliver better quality work—all of which contribute directly to your bottom line.

5. Trainers. Since 2016, as he has traveled on this quest to create the next generation of ironworkers, Garrison has found the biggest hurdle is finding qualified trainers. “Industry has to lead the way to provide workforce training,” he said.

Future leaders

Once you have trained an individual, retaining them is directly related to having formal mentoring and clear career paths.

“Mentoring in a construction workplace has become increasingly important in recent years. The process has always relied upon transferring knowledge and skills of existing craft professionals to newer members of the workforce, although few programs were formally structured,” explained Cathy Tyler, Director of Accreditation and Workforce Development for NCCER. “The challenge of maintaining today’s workforce, however, requires that mentoring be moved to the forefront, utilizing structured mentoring processes,” she said.

In addition to the craft training NCCER is well known for, the organization also offers courses for leaders and managers. One of those courses is called Mentoring for Craft Professionals. Tyler explains that mentoring and coaching are closely related and often referred to interchangeably, but understanding the difference is important.

Coaching often involves a single experienced individual working with several trainees at the same time on the same skill. Mentoring is similar but continues for extended periods, focusing on the overall development of the trainee. Mentoring should also be documented.

Good mentors look to establish relationships with their trainees. Mentors should be open, honest, trusting, patient, humble, energetic, optimistic, and genuine.

“Successful mentoring relationships include a personal connection, similar values, mutual respect, and setting clear expectations and goals,” Tyler added.

Evaluations are conducted as part of this entire process. There are typically four levels.

• Reaction: Capturing information directly from trainee related to the training and mentoring that were provided.

• Learning: Conducting an evaluation of what the trainee has learned. This is typically captured through written or performance testing, if applicable.

• Behavior or Performance Change: Measuring changes in the individual’s productivity or quality of completed tasks.

• Business Results: Collecting data that helps to determine the financial return on the investment, the effect on the company’s image in the market, or related considerations for the company.

Certainly, training and mentoring are good for the individual, but it’s also good for the company and the industry.

“It’s critical on an individual level for companies to set the bar high for education and training, safety, and business practices. But, it is also good for the industry,” said Eddie Williams, retired, (SEAA’s founding President, 1972-1973, 1980, 2003-2004). “This ensures that each of us is bidding against companies of the same caliber. Most of us would rather compete with a competitor that knows what it is doing, not just presenting a low bid.”

Thinking back on the last 50 years, Williams said of SEAA, “those companies that shared that same vision stayed as members of SEAA. Those that didn’t, left.”

Other Courses for Construction Managers

NCCER offers a handful of courses designed for career development of construction leaders and managers. In addition to Mentoring for Craft Professionals, mentioned in this article, other courses include the following.

Fundamentals of Crew Leadership: This course is for an experienced craftworker who has demonstrated leadership qualities. To become an effective leader, it helps if a trainee has natural leadership qualities, but there are specific job skills that each craftworker must learn in order to do the job well, including the ability to communicate effectively, provide direction to a crew and effectively plan and schedule the work of a crew.

Project Management: Project managers might meet with owners, examine a work breakdown structure (WBS), negotiate with sub-contractors, and directly supervise crews. Their qualifications include both formal education and on-the-job training. This course covers topics such as Construction Documents, Resource Control, and Continuous Improvement.

Project Supervision: Field supervisors are the frontline managers on the job, directly supervising workers and other field supervisors. They are both the engine and the anchor of the construction team, driving it toward effectiveness and efficiency, and stabilizing it with consistency and good judgment. To fill this role, field supervisors need more than experience in the field. They also need management skills in problem solving, planning, estimating, safety supervision, scheduling, controlling costs and resources, and, perhaps most important, managing people. This course gives both veteran and new field managers a step-by-step approach to honing their natural abilities, developing essential skills, and generally improving their performance as leaders.

In addition, NCCER offers two management level certifications. One is for Construction Workforce Development Professionals, the first of its kind in the industry. The other is designed to help companies groom new Construction Superintendents. More than half of these managers are estimated to retire by 2026. NCCER developed this certification in conjunction with FMI. This assessment, training, and certification program is for people who oversee the operations of a construction site from planning to completion. •

Tracy Bennett is Managing Editor of Connector and Principal Partner of Mighty Mo Media Partners, a marketing consulting firm. Her technical expertise is in construction, lifting equipment, and workforce development.