Committee Spotlight: Navy
October 2022
At the beginning of the year, the GCA Construction Education Committee split into two separate committees: the Workforce Development Committee to serve the next generation of construction professionals and the Programs and Training Committee to meet the current professional development needs of GCA members.
Michael Young, the GCA’s 2nd Vice President, who had been a member of the Construction Education Committee for the past four years, was a natural fit to lead the newly formed Programs and Training Committee.
As President of Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc., one of the largest construction companies in the state, Mike has been able to look at training for GCA members through the lens of his experience with younger, ambitious employees in his company.
"The younger employees always ask two questions: ‘What is the next project that I’ll be working on?” and “Can I get more training? That could involve technical training or intangible skills like leadership."
Michael Young
GCA Programs & Training Chair
“The younger employees always ask two questions: ‘What is the next project that I’ll be working on?” and “Can I get more training?” Mike said. “That could involve technical training or intangible skills like leadership.”
Over the past several months, with the support of Gladys Hagemann, Deputy Director of the GCA, the Programs and Training Committee has been in a start-up mode, taking stock of its current training offerings. This has included a close look at which classes draw a lot of GCA members, the experiences of the attendees, and the costs of offering the classes.
Mike and the 10 other committee members are not accepting the status quo. Instead, they are bringing a fresh, new perspective to training that reflects changes in the construction industry. They have been identifying training needs, updating offerings, and lining up instructors.
In addition to safety training and technical classes such as blueprint reading, they are also looking at other important qualities necessary to be successful in the construction industry such as leadership skills and public speaking.
The next Programs and Training Committee meeting will be held in early November and the committee will be ready to roll out a new inventory of classes in 2023. More GCA members are welcome to join this committee. If you would like to share your innovative thinking and positive energy, the Programs and Training Committee would be just right for you.
If you’re a GCA member and interested in joining the Programs & Training committee, please contact Gladys Hagemann at info@gcahawaii.org.
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