Recruiting and Training the Work Force of the Future: The NUCA Workforce Development Committee

The NUCA Workforce Committee, under the direction of chairman Mark Scoccolo, co-owner of SCI Infrastructure LLC (SeaTac, Washington), has established a committed following of NUCA members and have been meeting regularly each month in 2018 to achieve the goals of the NUCA five-year strategic plan on Workforce Development.

An important first step is to convince parents and young kids that a career in heavy construction can be both rewarding and lucrative. NUCA and the committee have aligned itself with the Nutter Foundation of Washington State and its signature event “Dozer Day.”

The NUCA Workforce Development Committee and the association have developed a partnership with the Center for America, a national non-profit association that promotes the hiring of transitioning military veterans who are seeking a new civilian career. The Center for America is providing valuable information to NUCA on how to establish contacts among the various service branches to reach potential new industry recruits.

The strategic plan calls for the creation of new videos. The committee is currently in the process of developing two new video series. The first is a video that will be available online to drive interested industry recruits to the new NUCA website “Career Center.” The career center will be designed as a clearinghouse for information on well-paying, rewarding careers in heavy construction.

The second series is a “Day in the Life of …” videos that include specific jobs (equipment operator, welder, truck driver, superintendent, foreman, etc.) and what new industry workers can expect if they decide to pursue these career opportunities. Both video series will be available on the internet, social media, the NUCA website, and standard media (flash drives, DVDs, etc.).

Another initiative is to develop take-away materials and displays that are portable, attractive and easy to set up. The committee is charged with establishing a protocol whereby any NUCA Chapter that participates in a career fair, student industry orientation or “college night” can schedule to reserve these materials for their use.

The committee is aware of the recent reauthorization of the “Perkins Act” that allots money to the states for purposes of supporting state-sponsored career and technical training programs. The committee is investigating and developing a repeatable process whereby NUCA Chapters can partner with state community colleges and vocational programs to institute construction equipment operator programs as a viable educational track. In addition, the process will hopefully include the provision of “Perkins Act” funding for the needs of these programs.

The Workforce Development Committee meets via conference call on the third Tuesday of every month at 2:00 pm Eastern. Any NUCA member interested in becoming a part in this vital industry committee is directed to email Jim Stepahin, Director of Education and Training and staff liaison of the Workforce Development Committee at jim@nuca.com.

RELATED: Editor At Large: Taking The Wheel At Dozer Day

  Tags: Committee Report, September/October 2018 Print Issue, Workforce Development