AGC today released the Request for Proposal  to revise AGC’s Professional Crane Operator Safety Training Program materials. The updated program will provide quality training for construction professionals in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule published in the Federal Register on August 9, 2010. 

The training program is designed to offer a resource to contractors interested in providing high-quality safety training to crane operators and improve safety on jobsites where cranes are in operation.

To continue providing a high quality training program and to address the requirements and language in the recently issued final rule, AGC will hire a qualified developer to revise and update the existing program. Proposals are due to AGC of America by 5:00 PM ET October 18, 2010. The revised course material will be published in March/April 2011.

For more information, contact Amy Fields, Senior Director of Curriculum & Program Development at fieldsa@agc.org.

AGC of America is pleased to launch the new Training, Education & Development (TED) Forum.  This new forum will provide opportunities for AGC members and Chapter staff to participate in the association’s policymaking on education, training and workforce development issues, and will include the missions of AGC’s Construction Education, Supervisory Training, and Workforce Development Committees.

Unlike the old committee structure, AGC members do not have to be appointed to the forum.  They merely sign up by checking “Training/Education/Development” in their AGC profile.

The intent of the forum is not only to continue with the current projects supported by the three separate committees, but to expand the range of activities that AGC of America is involved with, while also drawing on a greater depth and breadth of expertise from our members and Chapter staff.  This promises to increase and improve the interaction among all members with a particular interest in attracting new workers and the continued development of current industry employees.

We have posted information about the forum’s purpose and structure online on AGC’s Education & Training http://www.agc.org/cs/career_development page.

AGC has posted steps on the Education & Training page to help individuals manage their own profile and be sure they are included in all TED Forum communications.

If you have any questions about the forum, please contact its staff liaison, Liz Elvin, Senior Director of Workforce Development, at 703-837-5389 or elvinl@agc.org.

AGC just released the second edition of Building to LEED for New Construction and will provide anyone interested in receiving quality green education has all the information they need to attend (or host) this new program.

Building to LEED is designed to educate construction professionals at all experience levels on a range of topics they would encounter while building a project pursuing LEED certification. This is not a preparatory class for the LEED Accredited Professional (AP®) or Green Associate™ certifications; it focuses on the credits within the New Construction and Major Renovations™ rating system and the impact those credits can have on construction practices, providing tips and lessons learned for contractors who are working on or considering pursuing LEED projects.

Continuing Education Credits
Building to LEED is approved by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Education Provider Program for 7.5 LEED BD+C Specific Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) Continuing Education (CE) Hours. To offer CE Hours, a course administrator must:
• Provide information on their course date, time, location and sponsor at least two weeks before the program date to curriculum@agc.org;
• Use an AGC of America-approved instructor that meets instructor qualifications;
• Use the standard materials found in the Instructor’s Guide (including the PowerPoint); and
• Purchase a Participant’s Manual for each attendee.

Pricing
Participant’s Manuals and Instructor’s Guides can be purchased from the AGC Store or by calling 1-800-242-1767 for $145 each for AGC members and $180 for non-members.
Instructors
Individuals interested in becoming Building to LEED instructors should submit a signed Instructor Qualifications form  and resume to curriculum@agc.org for consideration.

Want More Information?
Promoting a Building to LEED course? Want to let others in your company know about it? AGC provides:
 An information flyer  that can be posted to your website, sent around your office, emailed to colleagues, etc. A limited number of hard-copies can also be requested.
 A recording of the preview webinar AGC hosted for Building to LEED on August 12 is available for Chapter use and distribution.
 View www.agc.org/green for more course information.

For more information, visit www.agc.org/green or contact Stephanie Mullins at mullinss@agc.org or (703) 837-5387.

More than a year of careful planning recently came to fruition when the AGC-New Mexico Building Branch launched the Architecture, Construction & Engineering (ACE) Leadership High School in August 2010.

This public charter school was the brainchild of the leaders of the New Mexico Building Branch, including Maria Guy, a vice president at JB Henderson Construction and past president of the Chapter, and Vicki Mora, the CEO of the Chapter.
Members of industry wholeheartedly backed the new school with funding for its planning and remodeling, including J.B. Henderson Construction, Shad James of the Jaynes Corporation, the Rick Johnson Company, Cynthia Schultz of Bradbury Stamm Construction, and many others.  The Chapter’s Construction Leadership Council helped develop the school’s curriculum.

The ACA is composed of approximately 30 individuals appointed by the Secretary of Labor. The membership includes 10 representatives from each of the following sectors: employers, public and labor.  Members of the ACA have both the experience and background that qualify them to represent the program responsibilities of their sponsoring organizations and are expected to provide a foundation for developing advice and recommendations that are fair and comprehensive.

In her invitation, Secretary Solis noted that her “immediate priorities include increasing the use of Registered Apprenticeship to develop career pathways for diverse populations and to address the increasing skilled training demands for traditional and emerging industries such as green jobs, construction and healthcare.”

This appointment places AGC on the forefront on any changes to the federal registered apprenticeship system.  The ACA is charged with providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Labor matters facing the Registered Apprenticeship System, including how to:
• Develop and promote apprenticeship in all sectors of the economy;
• Safeguard the economic security of apprentices;
• Formulate and promote labor standards for Registered Apprenticeship;
• Identify and select research and demonstration projects;
• Coordinate the various parts of the national Registered Apprenticeship system;
• Expand participation of all segments of the workforce;
• Improve cooperation between education and Registered Apprenticeship;
• Meet future skill needs in expanding areas of the economy; and
• Address broader workforce issues.

The ACA meets four times a year.

The Associated General Contractors of America’s 9th Annual HR Professionals Conference will be co–located with the 4th Annual Training & Development Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. Each conference provides a unique opportunity for AGC members and chapter staff to participate in industry–focused sessions to learn innovative approaches to managing training and human capital.  The conferences will be held at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort/Scottsdale.

These events will cover everything you need to know to be successful as an HR or T&D professional in the construction industry. With expert speakers providing compliance–related guidance for HR professionals, and interactive sessions that are guaranteed to help T&D professionals sharpen your skills and solve common challenges, you will learn best practices for maximizing efficiency and effectiveness.

As an authorized provider of continuing education credits, AGC is providing the opportunity to earn these credits, which can be important to maintaining a professional designation and accelerating career growth. Participants who successfully complete the Training & Development Conference program will receive .8 IACET CEUs and/or 7.25 recertification credits towards PHR, SPHR or GPHR recertification from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) and participants who successfully complete the HR Professionals Conference program will receive .9 IACET CEUs and/or 9.0 recertification credits towards PHR, SPHR or GPHR recertification from HRCI.  Attend both conferences to receive a maximum of 1.7 IACET CEUs and /or 15 HRCI recertification credits!

This is a great year to invite a colleague along for the experience as AGC is offering discounted rates for multiple attendees from the same organization, as well as discounts for attending both programs.

Both conferences are open to a limited number of registrants, so register today to take advantage of the $100 early registration discount.  Visit the hotel’s website to reserve your hotel accommodations for only $129 per night. 

For more information on the conferences, visit www.agc.org/hr_td.

The 2010 Advanced Estimating Academy presented by AGC of America and the American Society of Professional Estimators will be held on October 26-27, 2010, in Arlington, Va. During this two-day program, estimators will learn the required skills to take their careers to next level.

Topics include problem solving and decision making, planning, meeting management, delegation, communications, managing your time, and skills to empower the next generation of leaders. In addition, participants will review advanced take-off methods and 3-demensional modeling.  Space is limited. Learn more and register today.

This program is uniquely designed for senior and chief estimators to gain valuable training in leadership, time management, communications and advance take-off methods, and qualifies for .16 IACET CEUs.

Successful negotiating is a talent—a talent that can be improved by learning the right skills. Negotiating doesn’t mean tricks and intimidation. Many contractors and managers fail to realize that the ability to successfully negotiate isn’t a product of luck or magic or even a specific talent. The ability to successfully negotiate is a skill that can be learned. In this two–day course, participants will gain valuable working knowledge of negotiating and listening and how it will benefit their relationships, both personally and professionally

Speakers Randy Nemchin and Peter Nielson from FMI will lead this two–day course with knowledge and enthusiasm. They each have worked with hundreds of contracting firms leading customizing training and leadership development courses across the country and around the world. Both are senior members of the FMI Leadership Institute staff and will bring to the classroom their expertise in human behavior to help you learn the skills to become a more effective negotiator.

Please join us on October 19-20 in Atlanta, GA for this compelling and interactive seminar. For more information and to register, please visit the AGC website.

Are you interested in AGC’s Supervisory Training Program? Whether you have been attending, instructing or hosting STP courses for a while or are looking to learn more about this exciting program don’t miss out on the AGC of America’s upcoming Supervisory Training Webinar Series and STP Instructor Training Workshop!

Kicking off in September, AGC will be hosting a five-part webinar series for early-career construction supervisors and those looking to make a move into such a role. Each 90-minute webinar will provide a portion of the content found in STP units to provide participants with important skills that are crucial to the success of projects. Participants also have the option to purchase the corresponding STP manual as a reference when registering. The webinar schedule is:
• Leadership and Motivation for Construction Supervisors—Tuesday, September 14, 2010—2:00-3:30 PM EST
• Understanding and Managing Project Costs for Construction Supervisors—Thursday, October 7, 2010—2:00-3:30 PM EST
• Oral and Written Communication for Construction Supervisors—Wednesday, October 27, 2010—2:00-3:30 PM EST
• Accident Prevention and Loss Control for Construction Supervisors—Thursday, November 18, 2010—2:00-3:30 PM EST
• Problem Solving and Decision Making for Construction Supervisors—Tuesday, December 7, 2010—2:00-3:30 PM EST

Registrants are able to register for this webinar as a series or individually and decide whether or not to purchase the course manual as a reference. Learn more about this program here.

Registration is also open for the 2010 STP Instructor Training Workshop, Nov. 4-5 in Denver, Colorado. Instructors and course administrators who are interested in kicking off an STP course schedule at their chapter or company or strengthening their instructor expertise should attend. Additional information can be found at here. Space is limited for this program so register early!

Please contact AGC at curriculum@agc.org or (703) 837-5387 with questions on any of these programs.

AGC recently submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind & Water Power Program draft plan for workforce development for the U.S. wind industry.

AGC feels the plan, as drafted, is focused too narrowly since most workers in the wind sector of the energy industry will need core construction, manufacturing or energy industry skills with, possibly, some additional green training in order to work in the wind sector of the power-generation industry.

Among the numerous suggestions AGC offered were that the wind energy industry workforce plan be expanded and connected to larger national efforts both to engage elementary and secondary school students so they see the relevance of what they are learning in school, and to provide the public with better information on how middle-skills jobs – that need less than a four-year degree but more than a high school diploma – are crucial to the nation’s economic success.

AGC also offered the help of member firms that work in the wind energy construction sector and encouraged the federal government to include more manufacturing, energy and construction industry employers and trade associations in the development of the final plan.

A copy of both the Department of Energy’s workforce road map and the AGC comments are available online.