With the Trump Administration focused heavily on improving infrastructure across the U.S. and the construction industry simultaneously experiencing an outflow of retiring workers and an influx of junior personnel, construction and engineering firms need all the help they can get with training.
“Companies are in need of efficient methods of equipping workers with the foundational education and training they require to reduce their exposure to jobsite risk,” Si Katara, president of Pavia Systems says. “The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reports 83% of contractors can’t find qualified skilled labor to meet the demand. Meanwhile, Associated Builders and Contractors estimates the construction industry will face a shortage of nearly two million skilled workers by 2019.”
In response, Pavia Systems has been developing training courses for the transportation construction industry for the past 11 years.
“These training courses have now been integrated into the HeadLight Project Intelligence platform, providing substantial benefits for users,” Katara says. “HeadLight Academy allows hiring managers to expedite the path to competence while simultaneously providing personnel the data collection tools they need to be successful in their roles through holistic use of the platform.”
How it Works
HeadLight Academy acts as a virtual mentor, with interactive resources ranging from a few minutes to a full hour of classroom-equivalent training. The learning content incorporates rich media such as video and simulations to engage today's learners. It allows for workers to quickly digest critical information and then apply it in the field immediately. Rather than outsourcing training to third-party vendors, firms are able to select the curriculum they need, determine goals for each program and track how each employee is performing against those benchmarks.
“HeadLight Academy allows for new and seasoned employees to take quick refresher courses from any geographic location, and have access to relevant ‘Just In Time’ information,” Katara says. “Say a pipe breaks on a job, a worker can access a searchable quick reference resource (Such as a ‘How To’ video) on the job site and immediately contain the problem. That can’t be done with offsite education.”
Users can take courses from a desktop in an office, from a mobile device in their truck during down time on a job site or launch a course to get a quick skill refresh right from the field.
Courses are completed on demand or as part of a progressive series determined by the organization. Gamification and badges are used to motivate students and track progress.
“Academy allows firms to have direct oversight of their employees’ education and it streamlines the process so that there is less downtime sending staff to offsite educational facilities,” Katara says. “With the current workforce deficit and need to train workers quickly yet properly, Academy provides firms the precise tool they need.”
The HeadLight Academy has more than 50 pre-built courses but organizations can also request additional and customized curriculum to be added to the module to meet their specific needs. Upon completion of each course, users are asked learning competency questions to help evaluate their understanding of the material. Managers can track course completion and performance of each individual employee allowing them to develop individualized certificate programs for their internal workforce. A well trained workforce is a major insurance policy against jobsite risk.
Education in Action
Recently, the South Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association (SCAPA) partnered with Pavia Systems to offer SCAPA Academy to road building professionals in South Carolina. At the beginning of August, they launched a customized version of the portal to meet the need for new technological resources and tools in the rapidly growing asphalt paving industry. SCAPA Academy, accessible at http://www.scasphalt.org/academy.html, will curate project-based curriculums and help expedite the path to competency for new hires, experienced professionals and inspectors.
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, deadly industrial work accidents on transportation construction projects have been on the rise due to a lack of attention paid to safe work practices and training. A younger and newer workforce in manufacturing and construction also contributes to labor challenges in the industry. With a wave of retiring workers and an influx of junior personnel exiting and entering construction, agencies and engineering firms are in need of efficient methods to equip workers with the foundational education and training they require to reduce their exposure to jobsite risk.
SCAPA Academy is a fully customizable, virtual mentor that teaches best practices in construction infrastructure, from extensive first-time training to quick refresher courses. It’s available 24/7, so learners can access wherever they can get online.
“We are excited to launch SCAPA Academy as the premier online training resource for asphalt industry professionals in South Carolina,” Ashley Batson SCAPA executive director says. “With our mission being focused on ensuring top quality in asphalt paving, we believe SCAPA Academy will provide the tools necessary to assist asphalt professionals with training new hires as well as continuing education opportunities for seasoned asphalt construction professionals.”
