Workforce Innovations - Sam Barnes

JERAMIAH BLUM KNEW something had to be done. In 2021, MMR Group’s vice president of estimating lost the bulk of his estimating department in one fell swoop when 27 people transferred to the construction field.

Blum’s department had traditionally served as a training ground for new estimators and future managers, many of them interns pursuing construction management degrees at LSU or Southeastern Louisiana University. On average, he had been releasing anywhere from six to eight estimators to the field per year, but a pandemic-induced backlog of work had increased the demand to unprecedented levels.

The resulting void in his department forced Blum to tell the MMR construction team that he could provide only one or two new estimators in the coming year. That’s

Workforce innovations

Contractors are creating new solutions for an old and worsening problem.

BY SAM BARNES

when he along with estimating manager Matt Jean began brainstorming for a new approach. Ultimately, they decided that the internship program would have to become its own stand-alone entity if they had any hope of meeting future demand.

With that in mind, the contractor created MMR University, an internal learning and development program tailored to augment higher education and professional skill sets over a 2½-year period. Complemented by new classroom facilities at MMR’s Baton Rouge headquarters, MMR-U combines in-person instruction with hands-on lessons, virtual learning opportunities, two summers of field experience and personal mentorship from MMR professionals.

After nearly a year of planning and preparation, MMR launched the pilot program this spring.

INTERNAL APPROACH

MMR took its inspiration from a handful of large international contractors with similar programs, even touring megacontractor Kiewit Corp.’s training facility in Omaha, Nebraska.

“It opened our eyes,” Blum says. “These guys are bringing in 800 interns a summer, and they hired

2,500 new employees last year alone. We sat down with them to find out what works, what doesn’t work, etc.”

In February 2022, MMR enlisted the help of Phillip LaFargue and Sarah Broome of LaFargue LLC to design the educational pathway for MMR-U. It was the organizational consultants’ first time building a training program for a for-profit company, but they approached it much like any other learning program, Broome says. “It was a matter of breaking down the skills and knowledge that needed to be taught, then figuring out how to sequence and teach them in a way that students would both learn and retain the information.”

It took about eight months to develop the program, during which time they met with current and former employees and various department heads to determine the scope of the curriculum and the best way to structure the teaching process.

The resulting curriculum is organized into three components—an online learning component that provides students with basic knowledge, terms and definitions; a classroom component where students work one-on-one or in a group with an instructor; and a hands-on component where students apply what they’ve learned in the field.

“The first cohort of 14 students began MMR-U this spring,” Blum says. “This fall, we’ll bring in another 14 students to bring the total to 28. Then, we hope to ramp it up to 42 interns by fall 2024, all students combined.”

Currently, MMR-U interns are stationed at jobsites across the country as part of their summer field placement. For example, Hayley Macaluso, a construction management senior at LSU, is stationed at the Rio Tinto Kennecott Copper Mine in South Jordan, Utah, where MMR performs service and maintenance. At the same time, she’s taking two online physics classes with the intent of graduating in fall 2024.

Macaluso, who first heard about MMR-U through LSU’s Construction Student Association, has been pleased with the program so far.

“It’s very intentional,” she says. “Many internships just throw you

DON KADAIR

DRASTIC ACTION: MMR Vice President Jeramiah Blum, talking with students in the company’s Craft Training Center, realized the need for MMR University after the company lost the bulk of its estimating department.

out in the field. They use you for three months and you try to learn as much as you can, but you’re teaching yourself most of the time.”

It has been a much different experience at MMR-U. Macaluso began with online courses and then received instructor-led assistance with reading blueprints, estimating, etc. in a classroom.

“Now that I’m out in the field, the drawings have come to life, and it has just been eye opening,” she adds.

Word of the program’s success is spreading.

“We’ve flipped the script,” Blum says. “We used to get 30 resumes for six positions, now we’re getting 150 resumes. We got intentional about what we were doing, and we’re seeing results.”

MMR hopes to eventually increase the educational offerings at MMR-U to include upskilling, specialization, lifelong learning and leadership development, while also expanding geographically to the remainder of its 30 offices across the U.S.

MAKING AN IMPACT

Labor shortages in construction are nothing new, but they’re expected to only get worse in the coming years. Recent research by Brookings shows that nearly 17 million construction workers in the U.S. are projected to permanently

leave their jobs over the next decade due to a wave of retirements, job transfers and other labor market shifts.

Filling those positions is going to be tough, Blum says, because many young people simply aren’t interested in construction.

“Fifteen or 20 years ago, I didn’t have to go to a recruiting event,” he adds. “That’s changed over the last few years. The new generation is different. Money is down the list for them. They want to know that there’s a career path, a work-life balance and an ability to upskill.”

Fred McManus, COO of Brown & Root, is all too familiar with the need for construction workers. He is also sensitive to the need for employment opportunities in the underserved communities of Baton Rouge. Recognizing an opportunity to help address both problems at the same time, McManus flew to Chicago to meet with Corey Brooks, a pastor who is the founder and CEO of Project HOOD Communities Development Corp., a group that seeks to, among other things, place underserved youths and adults into entry-level construction jobs.

Inspired by what he heard, McManus began developing a

similar program in Baton Rouge with the intent of connecting underserved communities with training opportunities at Associated Builders and Contractors–Pelican Chapter. He reached out to several Baton Rouge-area nonprofit groups for help and recruited the assistance of ABC–Pelican Chapter President and CEO David Helveston. He also got the backing of ABC members Performance Contractors and ISC Constructors.

“I wanted to make sure I had support here, and they got totally on board with it,” he says.

In their role, participating organizations such as The Black Family Initiative, the Christian Outreach Center and The Life House in St. James Parish identify and recommend potential candidates for the program.

“Each of these organizations has a work readiness program that prepares them for entry into the workforce,” McManus says. “While different in some ways, these groups are all consistent in that they help those wanting help and they’re faith based.”

Dubbed “Faith Builds,” McManus’ workforce initiative officially launched in January with some 26 students enrolling in the ABC training program, each sponsored by an ABC contractor. McManus says 17 of the students eventually completed the first semester core curriculum through the National Center for Construction Education & Reacher.

In July, they’ll enroll in craft-specific classes.

“Those aren’t bad statistics,” McManus says. “We’re starting to see some success here.”

In the end, the goal of the program is to reduce the strain on struggling communities and simultaneously create a diverse and inclusive talent pipeline for the construction workforce.

“There’s enthusiasm for it, and there’s high demand for jobs in this area,” McManus says. “This takes care of two issues … it fills those jobs and helps those who really need help.”