Building a better construction industry
February 5, 2008
As published in the Daily Journal of Commerce, February 5, 2008
Recent commentary in The Daily Journal of Commerce has advanced the idea that the building industry is broken. Certainly, the industry must continue to evolve and improve in adapting to an ever-changing business environment and meeting current market demands. Fortunately, best practices of excellence and innovation can be readily found, and as widely implemented, will propel the industry as a whole forward.
It is a long-standing industry objective to build and maintain a highly-skilled, efficient workforce. Such a workforce pays for itself by ensuring that work is done right, on time and on budget. Additionally, developing and maintaining skilled workers can reduce insurance premiums and litigation.
So the question is how do we cultivate a more highly skilled industry-wide work force both now and in the future? This is particularly critical as it relates to quality and cost management, but also given the impending labor shortage the industry will soon face as baby boomers retire.
Gone are the days when we could rely almost exclusively on word-of-mouth to build a skilled work force. Rather, we need to embrace the Internet and new avenues of communication to reach young people today. While the Internet is by no means new, it is not yet fully utilized as an industry recruiting tool.
This year, the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48 are launching a major educational outreach and recruiting effort targeting teens and young adults through MySpace and other popular networking web sites. The pilot initiative will harness videos featuring apprentices on-the-job and an interactive blog site in order to capture and engage this key demographic group.
It is not just using the right communication vehicles in recruitment efforts that will help meet labor demands of the future. We must also effectively reach out to a more broad demographic within the community. This includes women, ethnic minorities and even older individuals who are dissatisfied with their jobs. We have to appeal to these groups in a way that will resonate and provide the right kinds of forums in which to engage them - a key reason why NECA/IBEW sponsors the annual Women in Trades Fair.
It cannot be underscored enough the importance of reaching out early, particularly through recruiting programs that give an actual feel for life in the profession. One example of the great work being done is the founding of a new charter school - the Academy of Architecture, Constructions & Engineering (ACE). Scheduled to begin in September 2008, juniors and ultimately seniors at east county high schools will receive trades training as a part of their regular curriculum. The concept of this program is to ignite passion in students while they meet high school graduation requirements.
It is at the point when individuals are entering into the trades that we must instill them with the skills needed for success. It is a common misconception that working in the trades does not require great knowledge or aptitude. Rather, advanced math is the foundation of trades work. Furthermore, technological innovation and emerging market demands such as wind and solar power continually require updates to our training curriculum for apprentices, as well as seasoned journeyman.
NECA/IBEW meets these training challenges through our state-of-the-art electrical training center. It's a major investment to ensure a skilled work force. We are constantly updating the center with the latest equipment, as well as custom-designed teaching aids. Additionally, NECA/IBEW is implementing a new craft-certification program that combines hands-on testing with traditional paper exams. This is the next level of instruction and testing, and it holds great promise in advancing work quality, cost management and performance. It is also at this stage that safety excellence is fostered.
Over the last decade, businesses of all kinds have invested millions into implementing safety initiatives and programs to protect employees. More businesses could benefit from better safety records, if they took their initiatives beyond the typical three ring safety manual. Dynalectric, a NECA electrical contractor with over 300 employees, did just that.
Dynalectric has recently implemented a dynamic Zero Accident Program (ZAP) which drives results through creative employee incentives-most recently awarding one lucky employee with a new 2008 Chevy Silverado truck. It's a major investment, but the result is that safety is engrained in workers' daily routines. Dynalectric's MOD rate is well-below the industry average, which makes them more competitive in securing new business contracts. Businesses that value safety value their people. A safe, well-trained workforce is a productive and efficient one.
Another of our industry's priorities is research and development, conducted through the Foundation for Electrical Construction, Inc. (ELECTRI), which provides exemplary management education and supervisory training programs. A recent $1 million donation from Oregon-Columbia NECA members Buz and Betty Allison, formerly of Oregon Electric, to ELECTRI combined with the $27 million endowed foundation has allowed ELECTRI to fund 97 research projects designed to analyze industry trends and emerging issues. These efforts keep electrical contractors on the cutting-edge of new technology and business practices.
There is no harm in taking a critical look at our industry - indeed it is the only way we will improve and grow. We all need to be dedicated to providing a high quality work force that will meet the demands of the building industry. This requires robust training and certification initiatives, as well as meaningful investment in research and development and providing leadership in sustainability and other cutting-edge efforts. The result of these priorities is cost efficiency, improved productivity and product excellence. Our industry will continue to look for new ways to build and maintain a highly-skilled workforce through promoting investments in trade and vocational educational infrastructure. We are proud to do our part to raise the bar in our industry, and to reinforce what's already strong.
Tim Gauthier, Executive Manager of the Oregon-Columbia National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)
Barry Moreland, Safety Director at the NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center (NIETC)