Workforce Development

Get the Whole Gang Together!

One of the best ways to ensure your remote designers feel like an integral part of the team is to make an effort to get everyone physically in the same place from time to time. Dan Morris, truss design manager at Apex in Jacksonville, Florida, notes that while they have regular interactions over the phone or through online meetings, they’ve also learned that “you need to have face-to-face time” to keep the team unified.

Giving Tours to Students – The Only Wrong Way Is Not at All

The first common theme among those CMs who make an effort to engage with students on a regular basis is a clear recognition that connecting with the next generation is important to solving current workforce development issues in this industry. Simply put, “it’s the right thing to do,” says David Mitchell at Engineered Building Design, L.C. in Washington, Iowa.

Sweating the Small Stuff

As hiring remote truss designers becomes increasingly common for the component manufacturing industry, ensuring those same designers don’t feel like they’re alone on an island (even if they actually are) needs to be an important factor in your plan. Finding strategies to help all of your employees feel valued and included isn’t a new concept, but shifting the approach for your remote team members can go a long way to establish a solid foundation in your design department.

Teaming Up for the Trades

The Baltimore Carpentry Task Force brings students together to explore construction careers

Rely on Relatable Recruiters

Past interns are a great fit to attract students. Recently Big C Lumber held a plant tour for 39 students from eight different schools that are in the Michigan Construction Trades course offered through the St. Joseph County Board. After the tour there were at least ten students that showed interest in working at Big C Lumber. That’s a quarter of the students in the tour!

Editor's Message: How Often Do You Think

The primary mission of SBC Magazine is to connect with component manufacturers (CMs) from across the country and share their best practices and lessons learned. Of course, the biggest challenge in that effort is identifying the timely struggles of one group of CMs and then finding the CM who has developed a best practice to solve it.

SBCA at Work for You

Need a quick update on the latest and greatest from your trade association? Join Molly Butz for an overview of SBCA's newest and most valuable programs and resources and how you can put them to use in your organization now.  

Safety Tip: Focusing New Hires

When you first bring a new hire into your plant, there‘s a lot going on that can easily distract someone unfamiliar with component manufacturing. It can be a challenge to keep a new person focused. That said, it’s critical they pay close attention to all of the potential safety hazards, from handling sharp-edged connector plates to learning how to properly swing a hammer.

Providing a Glimpse of Industry Career Paths

Component manufacturers had a unique opportunity to invite a small group of students and their instructors to an afternoon on the BCMC show floor this year.