If you own or manage a construction company, you make investment decisions all the time. Some of the major decisions include investing in your shop/office, investing in your fleet, and investing in your equipment.
These are all tangible investments. You can see, touch and feel a vehicle. You can actually watch your equipment make money for your company. The more it is used, the more money you make.
Successful companies realize that their employees are one of their most valuable investments. As with any investment, it needs to be developed. Your workforce has to be a positive reflection of your company. If it is not, you will know it through dissatisfied customers and cost overruns.
It is a simple fact that someone who is properly trained on a technique or skill can out produce someone who has not been trained. If you need proof, hire someone “off the street” and ask them to lay out a building based on a set of plans. Now, give the same task to someone who was trained in site layout. Compare the results.
Consider this: what if everyone in your company was either in apprenticeship training or had completed an apprenticeship? What would that do for productivity?
There have been a number of studies that have shown that employees who are trained tend to stay working for the same employer longer. In addition, they use fewer sick days. One of the reasons is most likely the difference between having a job and having a career. Long term training like apprenticeship typically has more value. In general, those who are in jobs tend to move to other jobs. Those who are in careers tend to stay in those careers.
It is very simple. Would you rather “get a job” or be training for a career? One does not “get” to be a doctor, lawyer, or any other profession. Every profession requires education, training, and experience. The same is true for construction professionals.
The apprenticeship training process instills a sense of pride in the trade and for the quality of work being put in place. The training environment in both the classroom and in the field is such that it is simply not acceptable to “slap things together.” This increases the overall standard of quality.
Here is another take on quality. Companies that offer apprenticeship training opportunities often attract higher quality applicants. The person who wants to serve an apprenticeship is one who is willing to make a commitment to the trade and to your company.
It all comes down to a willingness to invest in your most valuable resource—your employees. Training apprentices is one of the best ways to accomplish this. If you invest in your employees, you will see direct benefits. Take the first step and find out more about how you can make the apprenticeship training process work for you. You will be glad you did.