Our New 6-1/2 Hour CD Set - Turn Your Truck Into a Classroom

Our 6+ Hour Audio Series, The Business of Construction Contracting is perfect for busy construction professionals who have "Windshield Time" These inclusive CD's contain management insights and worksmart thinking in the areas of 1) The Business of Construction Contracting - Business, Strategic and Economic Issues and Insights 2) Work Acquisition - Estimating, Bidding, Priciing, and Selling 3) Building Work - Project Control, Project Management and Labor Productivity 4) Keeping Track - Financial and Adminstrative Practices 5) People - Management, Recruitment and Training of Your Most Valuable Asset 6) Miscellaneous... Read More

PERC Offers Industry Education on Green Energy

For building professionals interested in increasing their knowledge of propane’s green applications in the marketplace, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has partnered with CS Learning Solutions to offer free, American Institute of Architects (AIA) certified educational courses. Here's how you can take advantage.... Read More

Lords join the diploma debate

The House of Lords echoed contractors concerns this week about the lack of work experience in the government's new diplomas.... Read More

Construction Diploma is 'ludicrous'

Allowing students to pass the Construction Diploma without on-site work experience is “ludicrous”, a leading recruitment specialist warned this week.... Read More

Construction diplomas criticised by House of Lords

The House of Lords echoed contractors concerns this week about the lack of work experience in the Government’s new Diplomas.... Read More

Construction diplomas criticised by House of Lords

The House of Lords echoed contractors concerns this week about the lack of work experience in the Government’s new Diplomas.... Read More

Construction Diploma is 'ludicrous'

Allowing students to pass the Construction Diploma without on-site work experience is “ludicrous”, a leading recruitment specialist warned this week.... Read More

Technical Details: Service Departments: How to Conduct a Roof Inspection

Roofing contractors can benefit from a well-organized service department, and service and maintenance work can become even more important to a company’s profit picture in tighter economic times. Service departments are typically smaller departments that operate independently from a company’s main roofing operations. The service department handles all of the company’s leak repairs and service-related items, such as installing flashing at new curbs and the installation of additional vents and drains.... Read More

Canadian Institute of Steel Construction offers seismic-design courses

The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) recently offered a series of commercial building and seismic-design courses across the country to help identify the best way to use steel to provide greater earthquake resistance in buildings up to 10 storeys tall.... Read More

CertainTeed Adds Low-Slope Roofing Courses

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Tile Roofing Institute Launches “Go Green” Campaign

Jeanne Sheehy of the Tile Roofing Institute in Chicago is gushing green these days having announced the launch of one of the tile roofing industry’s first-ever “Go Green with Tile” campaigns. The idea is to help educate and inform design/building professionals and homeowners about the environmental green benefits of concrete and clay tile roofs.... Read More

Construction & Built Environment Diploma: 70 firms sign up

More than 70 companies have now committed to delivering the Construction and the Built Environment Diploma – which is equivalent to A levels.... Read More

Innovative Green Home in Omena, Mich.

Danny Forster’s passion for architecture and innovation is evident as he explains the technologies, techniques and materials that help him achieve his goal of designing a home like none other. ... Read More

Online Construction-Degree Programs Gain, But Some Educators Worry About Content

As construction professionals struggle to balance shifting industry markets, not to mention their own workplaces and home lives, finding time to bolster or change career directions is tougher than ever.... Read More

New Indianapolis Airport's Works of Art

Creators of terrazzo and glass artworks for the New Indianapolis Airport terminal described their projects and the installation processes during a recent tour of the facility. The works were commissioned by the Indianapolis Airport Authority.... Read More

Teaching Construction: The Best Kept Secret In Construction Jobs

All over the nation, schools, training programs, and educational institutions are searching for individuals with construction experience to become teachers.  With the impending retirement of the baby boomers, industry analysts predict that the United States will experience a significant construction labor shortage in the coming years.  To combat this, many schools and programs are reaching out to young people across the country, trying to turn out more skilled workers before the baby boomers retire.   If you have experience in the industry, you can help reach out to young people too. ... Read More

Success With Hispanics: Construction Woes and the Latino Subcontractor

The current shakedown in the construction industry allows for two very important things to happen that are to the benefit of both the organization and the workers. It allows companies to refocus on training their workforce for the long term and it helps clean up the subcontractor industry.... Read More

U.S. academy studies ‘grand challenges for engineering’

The United States National Academy of Engineering has been conducting a fascinating exercise for the last few months.... Read More

A different kind of rock garden

The Chicago Tribune recently ran a fun article on using concrete in your garden. It touts decorative concrete for use in large or small garden projects, and talks about concrete’s versatility andlongevity. Have you seen an increase in customer requests for outdoor decorative concrete applications in gardens, outdoor kitchens and the like?... Read More

Piling - All You Need to Know?

An overview of piling, how it's done, why and where, details of materials and techniques used to install piles for housing developers and other construction projects.... Read More

Architecture and the University: Inventing Something Bold and Reinventing the Old

Separate items reported on January 28 in The Chronicle of Higher Education reflect the range of architectural and construction opportunities on today's college campus. At a recent Yale University symposium entitled “Building the Future: the University as Architectural Patron,” speakers promoted innovation and advocated that a campus should consider its physical place in the broader community with “lively, informed discourse about architecture and its role.” See here.The presentations, of course, included the MIT professor "who is partly responsible for two of the most striking and controversial buildings of the... Read More

Piling - All You Need to Know?

An overview of piling, how it's done, why and where, details of materials and techniques used to install piles for housing developers and other construction projects.... Read More

Public Seminar Schedule for Spring, 2008 - Stevens Construction Institute, Inc.

Public Seminar Schedule.pdf... Read More

Experts share views at New Methods of Public Procurement seminar

Ensuring that public-private partnerships remain fair and transparent is a priority shared by two experts involved with government procurement in different provinces.... Read More

The Inside Track on Six Sigma Training

It is essential to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of training methods that lead to certification and implementation of Lean Six Sigma and related methodologies. This is necessary for any organization to ensure alignment not only with all operational processes, but equally important, the entire enterprise.... Read More

Learning Blueprint Basics

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Expanding apprenticeships, developing world-class skills

Today sees the start of the first Apprenticeship Week, now set to become an annual event following the recommendations of the Apprenticeship Review ‘Expanding apprenticeships, developing world-class skills’ published at the end of last month. We have a special report for Buildingtalk from Eric Turner of Proskills who reviews the new production apprenticeship programme [...]... Read More

Construction Netcast (Trauner Consulting)

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Our Next Boot Camp is April 15-17 in Philadelphia, PA

4_2008 Boot Camp Brochure.pdf References of our Business Management Boot Camp, double click here... Read More

Building life cycle costs explored in seminar

The life cycle cost of building operation can be lowered by implementing sustainable maintenance and repair practices.... Read More

Construction Training Basics - Part 1

As we look to grow our present workforce to assume more responsibility (and authority), a training approach has to be option 1A or 1B. It has to be the first option. Another option is "let the cream rise" or your best people will just naturally earn more responsibly and authority. I don't think it is a second option, that is, let all you people make mistakes and learn. Darwin would understand this approach. The fittest become rulers and the rest of us work. As you know, this approach is... Read More

CEDIA Forms Professional Service Action Team

CEDIA has formed a Professional Service Action Team (PSAT) aimed at providing members with help and outsourcing services in training, marketing, promotion, consultation and business development. ... Read More

Government of Alberta invests $1.5 million in trades-training facility for women

The Government of Alberta announced on Jan. 31 that it is investing $1.5 million toward the completion of a training facility for women entering the trades. The program, operated by the Women Building Futures not-for-profit organization, helps women achieve economic independence and build strong futures through trades training, mentorship and employment support.... Read More

Adult Learners - Do You Have a Learning Project Plan?

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The Case Against Case Studies

24 JAN 2008 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story» How Columbia's B-school is teaching MBAs to make decisions based on incomplete data.... Read More

You Can't Learn Management in a Classroom

25 JAN 2008 from BusinessWeek | Read the full story» A leading management thinker argues that MBAs need more real business world experience in their education.... Read More

Lean Works in Construction, Oakland, CA

Start: Mar 3 2008 - 11:00am End: Mar 3 2008 - 4:00pm March 3, 2008 – Lean Works in Construction, Oakland, CA – Sponsor: Bay Area SMACNA Chapter – contact Audrey Kerns at (510) 635-8212. Must be a SMACNA member to attend.... Read More

Lean Construction Practices, SMACNA �