Training

SHCA expands education to tackle industry challenges

Being prepared to learn is an important quality for those working in the heavy construction industry. Creating more learning opportunities is something the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) has been working on, alongside Darlene South of Darlene South Consulting Solutions and Jason Tratch of Proteus Waters.

Now, the SHCA is excited to announce its education portfolio for fall 2024, another way the association is providing services to members and stakeholders. The association views these education and training opportunities as essential in helping members build a sustainable workforce through improved recruitment and retention strategies.

South is an advocate for helping people understand and appreciate the career opportunities available in the construction industry. “The ability to attract, recruit and retain qualified staff has been an issue for years,” said South. “That is difficult to understand given the career opportunities, the financial rewards and limitless possibilities attainable in the industry. It is possible, regardless of education, experience or background, to be successful.

“There is no other industry where people are trained so well on the job,” said South. “There is no other industry where employees can build a prosperous career through on-the-job training without the encumbrance of student loan debt. There is no other industry that offers so many career options to such a variety of people.”

South has been an educator for over 40 years. She owned two private vocational colleges, co-ordinated post-graduate courses in information technology at the University of Regina and worked as director of governance, education and special projects at the Regina Construction Association (RCA).

While with the RCA, South developed an education program that delivered relevant and diverse in-person courses. It was through her work on the Construction 101 course that she gained a deeper appreciation for the construction industry and its importance to Saskatchewan.

“Construction 101 is a course that outlines the entire construction industry,” said South. “I think everyone in the industry, including administrative staff, should take this course. It provides a comprehensive overview of the industry and its value.”

One participant in the RCA’s Construction 101 course said they particularly appreciated “the broad coverage of how construction occurs from start to finish.” Another participant noted the course helped them understand “the different types of contracts – tenders versus requests for proposals.” Others valued learning more about bonds, risk management and pre- and post-completion processes.

The opportunities to learn don’t stop there. The SHCA course list also includes Supervisor, Leadership, Professionalism, Conflict Resolution, Working Well, Construction Documents, Procurement and Contractors, Contract Law, Project Management Fundamentals, Project Management Advanced, Work Breakdown and Scheduling, Change and Risk Management and Waste Water Operator and Management Program.

South leads some of those courses, while Tratch handles others. He has business and project management expertise in small start-ups and large multinational blue chips. He is a leading expert in multiple globally-recognized management systems and project management methodologies.

By working with South and Tratch, the SHCA is aiming to change perceptions of the construction industry by offering a range of courses that address both hard and soft skills training. The hard skills training will build on the on-the-job learning employees already receive. The soft skills courses focus on personal qualities that influence workplace performance. For example, the Project Management Advanced course helps employees understand how to handle interactions with others to get a beneficial outcome.

This combination of soft and hard skills training will help move work in construction from being perceived as just a job to an opportunity to join an industry that offers promising and fulfilling careers.

South emphasized the difference between education and training, and the value of offering both. “Education provides a foundation for further learning, while training focuses more on building hard skills,” said South. “The construction industry does an exceptional job in training hard skills.

“There is no other industry that offers so many career options to such a variety of people.”

– Darlene South, Darlene South Consulting Solutions

“One of the keys to building a better construction industry is to supplement the hard skills acquired through training on the job with education courses to support those skills,” said South. “When employees are offered the opportunity to participate in education, they feel valued and respected, and they will advocate for the industry and present a positive image to encourage recruitment and retention.”

Participants in previous courses noted they valued reflecting on their own experiences and becoming more open to others’ perspectives. This blend of soft and hard skills training aims to transform construction work from being seen as just a job to a fulfilling career path.

South said today’s workers want jobs that provide opportunities for learning and advancement. The 2024 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report highlighted several key findings:

• 94 per cent of workers said they would stay at a company longer if they had more access to employee education and learning opportunities.
• 70 per cent would be less likely to leave their current jobs to work for an organization known for investing in employee development and learning.
• 34 per cent of employees who left jobs were motivated to do so by more employee development.
  86 per cent of millennials would stay in their current position if training and development were offered by their employer.
• Over 70 per cent of high-retention-risk employees will leave their company in order to advance their career.
• Retention rates rise 30 to 50 per cent for companies with strong learning cultures.

In addition to learning from South and Tratch, course participants also have the opportunity to learn from each other, with classes limited to six to 12 people. South noted that interactions among participants is often one of the most valuable aspects of the courses.

“If there are 10 people in the class, it’s just amazing the information that gets shared among them. They also gain from learning about the experiences of others,” said South, who explained that breakfast and lunch is provided as part of the registration. “We have breakfast and lunch breaks, but no one ever leaves during them. They just want to stay and interact with one another. Part of the value of the training is the networking opportunities.”

Participants in South’s courses frequently cited the value of these discussions in their evaluations.

“[My] favourite part of the course [was] all the colourful discussion,” said one. “[My favourite part was] how easy it was to ask questions and talk with everyone,” said another. “[South] made the course very easy to interact in [and there was] lots of opportunity to discuss,” said yet another.

The courses vary in length, with some completed in a single day, while others take up to three days. South said some of the courses are eligible for the Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant, which reimburses two-thirds of the tuition for a three-day course. These opportunities will be available to SHCA members as well as employees in the Ministry of Highways and municipal officials. Most courses will take place at the SHCA’s Regina office, but they can also be held in other locations across the province by request.

Members can send their employees to the courses, which began in October. A schedule is posted to the SHCA’s website as well as forms to register for this training.