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Work hard, have fun and feel valued at Kiewit
iewit Energy Canada is a subsidiary of Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Corporation, an employee-owned company. It provides a wide range of engineering, procurement and construction services to the oil, gas, and energy industries.
Kiewit’s Canadian contracts have included projects at CNRL Horizon and MEG Energy. Current projects include those at IOL Kearl Lake and Kiewit’s module yard in Edmonton. “We hire problem-solving go-getters who get things done and also like to have fun,” says Erica Storteboom, the Calgary-based district human resources/labour relations manager. Area manager Alex Saltarelli, a 21-year employee, points to the popularity of the annual Exile Island event, which raised over $20,000 for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. “Community-service events are good for team building and boost morale,” he says.
“We invest a lot into training... you can spend your entire career at Kiewit in different roles” – Erica Storteboom, District HR/Labour Relations Manager
Fun could also come in the form of a breast-cancer fundraising event in which all site workers donned pink shirts for a day. “We don’t limit ourselves to just one or two corporate charities,” says Storteboom, who joined Kiewit in 2005. “If an idea hits home and the employees develop an engagement plan, we do it.” When it comes to recruitment, Kiewit has always given opportunities to young people who have a desire to learn and work hard. “We hire a lot of new graduates, mostly in electri-
cal, mechanical, civil and integrated engineering but also in human resources, business and construction management,” says Storteboom. Saltarelli began his Kiewit career at 24, when he was hired as a summer intern during his third year of an engineering degree at the University of Alberta. He wanted to work in construction, so he was put to work as a field engineer for concrete overlays on bridge decks.
“As an intern, you’re given hands-on responsibility right away, but with checks and balances so nobody gets hurt,” says Saltarelli, whom Kiewit hired full-time after graduation. As a new employee, he received valuable informal mentoring and has become a mentor himself. “From your supervisor to the executive vice-president, people take the time to visit job sites, ask how you’re doing and provide feedback,” he says. “It’s part of our culture.” At Kiewit, nothing is more important than safety. Ensuring that employees and those working on job sites are able to go home to their families at the end of each shift is critical. “Employees are treated like family, and that extends beyond ensuring their safety to making sure they’re challenged and enjoying their jobs,” says Saltarelli. Employees get broad-based experience in their first five years, so they may one day become a project manager overseeing anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion worth of work. “We invest a lot into training, then provide advancement opportunities so if you want to, you can spend your entire career at Kiewit in different roles,” says Storteboom. Kiewit takes training very seriously. That’s why Kiewit Energy Canada Corp. constantly has employees training at Kiewit University, a yearround training facility in Omaha.
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT KIEWIT ENERGY DOING THEIR PART FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
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Kiewit University teaches employees the technical and the leadership skills required for their current role, with an eye toward future roles. Kiewit University’s broad range of training topics includes leadership, first-time supervisor, field engineering, business, HR and Kiewit culture. The company invests heavily in its employees’ professional growth and development, which is evident
through the amount of time, effort and money it spends on training. Hard work and attention to detail don’t go unrecognized. Kiewit shows its appreciation for employee contributions in myriad ways, including an annual Banff ski trip for workers and their families (last year, more than 300 people attended). “We want to make sure our employees know that we value them,” says Storteboom.
A name you can trust Kiewit is one of North America’s largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations. Kiewit Energy Canada Corp. specializes in large, complex, integrated industrial, mechanical and electrical projects and has been active in the Canadian Oil Sands since 2005. Our projects involve construction of oil sands processing facilities, refinery expansions, gas plant expansions, co-generation facilities, major mine developments, spool fabrication facilities and SAGD facilities. Kiewit Energy Canada Corp. 10333 Southport Road SW, Suite 200 Calgary, AB | 403-693-8701
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