Newsline

New in 2015, a team competition for journey-level craft professionals will be added to the lineup of National Craft Championships (NCC) events with teams of five representing electrical, pipefitting, millwright, carpentry and insulation crafts. The teams will demonstrate how the crafts work together to simulate real-life working conditions and to highlight their skills. If you have a craft professional who you want to participate in the inaugural team competition, complete an Intent to Compete form by Jan. 9.

Registration for ABC’s 2015 Workforce Conference is now open and ABC is excited to announce that John Ratzenberger, known best for his role as Cliff in the show “Cheers,” will be joining us as the keynote speaker. In addition, the 2015 conference offers five education tracks for construction and association professionals, networking opportunities, the National Craft Championships and the Excellence in Construction Awards. The conference will be held March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

ABC member companies who have an employee who stands out as a team leader and the best in their trade can give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for title of Craft Professional of the Year Award. Finalists will be flown to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony and the winner will walk away with a brand new 2015 Ram Tradesmen Truck.

At ABC’s second annual Industrial Users Summit, merit shop contractors discussed issues regarding labor, safety, productivity and working with the client with some of the top industrial construction users in the country. 

Amanda Novak, the human resources manager for ABC member company The Tri-M Group, LLC, testified on behalf of the merit shop construction industry during a field hearing about what employers need from educators and state officials to fix the workforce issues we face. 

Does your company employ craft trainees and apprentices who excel in their trade?  Have you and your employees participated in a craft competition at your local ABC chapter? Our National Craft Championships is welcoming those who want to take their skills to the next level and showcase what they can do on a national stage. If you want your employees to show what your company is about –growing a skilled workforce and delivering the best work—then submit an intent to compete form and claim your spot in the 2015 National Craft Championships.

At our Construction Management Career Fair on Nov. 11 in Miami Beach, Fla., we’re giving our members the exclusive opportunity to recruit their next top performers from a group of top-tier students representing areas all over the country under one roof. Booths must be reserved by Oct. 31, so be sure to complete your application today.

By 2020, the Millennial generation will make up roughly 50% of the U.S. workforce, changing the way we do business and also the way we retain our best employees. Mix that with the fact that 65% of millennials say opportunity for personal development was the most influential factor in selecting their current job and it becomes obvious that we need to be engaging our young professionals and offering them ways to grow both personally and professionally within the association. 

Our craft instructors have a huge impact on how well-prepared the nation’s future construction workers are and their dedication to building a skilled workforce should not go unnoticed. To thank our instructors across the country for their hard work, ABC will award an instructor that teaches at an ABC Chapter, training affiliate or member company with $10,000 and the title of Craft Instructor of the Year.

With the ABC Career Fair we’re helping you find the best recruits to join your team. Whether you’re looking to fill an internship or full-time position, we can introduce you to some of the top construction management students from across the country. If you want to pre-screen and interview students who could potentially be the next-best hire, join us Nov. 11 in Miami, Fla.