AGC’s Lean Construction Education Program Unit 4: The Last Planner® System will be released in mid-November and we’re recruiting new instructors! The Last Planner System is a four-hour course that can be offered locally at AGC Chapters across the country. A free instructor orientation webinar will be held on from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday, November 18 for all individuals interested in becoming approved instructors for this course. You can register for this free webinar.

A recently released AGC of America survey found that construction firms worry there are not enough craft workers available to meet the growing demand for construction. Now the AGC Training, Education & Development (TED) Forum is seeking input on how it can help AGC members help solve the problem through resources already available and those that could be put in place. The TED Forum was formed four years ago to provide guidance over all AGC education, training, workforce development and credentialing activities. Please take a few brief minutes to complete the following survey

Even open-shop contractors need to be aware of union rights and responsibilities.  If a union representative walks onto a jobsite, can you remove him from the property without violating the law or must you let him talk to the workers?  Does it matter whether there are union subcontractors working at the site?  These are the kinds of issues that attorney Rick Samson of Ogletree Deakins will address in a “Quick Learn” during AGC’s Sept. 17 web meeting for open-shop contractors.  The web meeting is free and open to AGC members only.  The web meeting will also feature a report by AGC staff and a roundtable discussion.  It will begin at 3:00 p.m. EDT. 

Students can get an early start on the AGC Education and Research Foundation scholarship application this summer. Join the over 3,000 students who have gotten their start as AGC members through a foundation scholarship worth $2,500, renewable for up to three years. Students in ABET- or ACCE-accredited construction management or construction-related engineering programs must be entering their sophomore, junior or senior year (or the final year of a five-year program) in the fall of 2014 in order to apply. Graduate students are eligible for $3,750 annually for up to two years. 

For over 20 years, AGC’s Advanced Management Program has been strengthening participant’s business proficiencies and construction knowledge through the guidance of industry experts and by sharing best practices and ideas with fellow construction professionals. New this year, the schedule has been condensed to meet the needs of busy executives. Join us November 10-15 and begin taking the steps to further your career as a construction management executive.

Stephanie Mullins Adamec, who has led AGC curriculum development and administration for several years, is moving on to a new opportunity at another construction association. Stephanie’s last day at AGC was Monday, July 29. Meri Woods has been promoted to Director, Education Advancement and Credentialing. In this position, Meri will lead the management of AGC curriculum (STP, BIM EP, LCEP, etc.) and related credentialing programs (CM-BIM).

AGC's Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference, which will take place Oct. 16-17 in Chicago, Ill., is tailored to meet the specific needs of HR and training professionals in the construction industry. This conference will help ensure you remain up to date with the most cutting-edge techniques in training and development currently in use and envisioned for the future in the industry. Plus, attending will allow you to network with peers in your industry, and send you home with practical skills you can begin to implement right away.

Over the past several months, AGC of America has received a number of reports, most of which were anecdotal, about sporadic shortages of workers and talent in certain parts of the country.  At the same time, overall construction employment, while rising steadily, remains well below peak employment levels.  As a result, we’re having a hard time gauging the extent of worker shortages and if and where those shortages may be impacting construction projects.  Please take a few brief minutes to complete our survey so we can conduct a better assessment of if, where, and to what extent there are actual shortages of skilled craft workers or qualified construction professionals. 

Join AGC President Paul Diederich in a free Training, Education & Development Forum town hall webinar as he discusses the importance of workforce recruitment and professional development activities, including AGC’s efforts in these areas, how they can benefit your company and why your participation is crucial to AGC's long-term success.

Registration is now open for AGC’s 2013 Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference, to be held Oct. 16-17 at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago. The conference will provide two days of unique opportunities for HR, training and workforce development professionals in the construction industry.