More than 150 industry training and development professionals, including more than 20 chapter staff, attended the 2nd Annual Training & Development Conference, held in St. Louis in mid-October.
The conference displayed the many workforce development, training programs, and professional development programs sponsored by our chapters and members around that nation. AGC would like to thank the more than two dozen breakout speakers who took time to share their experiences at the conference, including elevating your management program; working in a multi-cultural environment; starting, selling and marketing a training program, and much more.
Attendees also heard from two plenary speakers: Roger Montague of FMI, who introduced the audience to the latest trends in training, and Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking, who kept the audience’s attention with a thought-provoking look at our next generation of workers.
The optional Thursday afternoon sessions were packed with an audience of people who learned some great information about developing their own and others’ training skills. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to view some of the newest training technologies and resources from developing interactive learning media to building successful curriculum. Numerous training-related companies exhibited their wares to this highly qualified group of attendees. Breaks and two social events gave participants ample opportunity to network with other professionals and make the connections that are a hallmark of AGC membership. .
AGC of St. Louis President Len Toenjes opened the AGC’s 2nd Annual Training & Development Conference Oct. 15, welcoming everyone to St. Louis and sharing a little about his chapter’s commitment to excellence in training and both workforce and professional development.
Paul Flentge, Chairman of the Supervisory Training Committee, and Ed Proefke, Jr., Chairman of the Workforce Development Committee, announced the new AGC Education Excellence Awards, designed to recognize the best training programs among AGC members and chapters. Complete information available at http://www.agc.org/EEA. The online application will be available in the coming weeks.
AGC would like to thank the St. Louis Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program, which provided dinner and tour of its training facility for 50 attendees, and the St. Louis Construction Careers Center, which provided a tour and lunch on Thursday for 30 people.
AGC would also like to thank the Carpenters International Training Fund, which sponsored lunch on Wednesday, and the National Center for Construction Education & Research, which sponsored the Welcome Reception on Tuesday, as well as presented a gift certificate for a laptop computer to Mark Knudson, a carpentry instructor at the Construction Industry Training Center of Washington, who won the 2008 AGC Craft Instructor Award.
We’ve received great feedback and suggestions for next year’s event, so please mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Training & Development Conference, to be held Oct. 27-29 in Atlanta, Georgia.
" width="300" height="234" />Center: 2008 AGC Craft Instructor of the Year, Mike Knudson. On left: Don Whyte, president of NCCER. On right: Dave Perrin, vice president for education at the Construction Industry Training Council of Washington, where Mr. Knudson teaches carpentry.