Our company has recently begun assessing our workforce using the NCCER’s (National Center for Construction Education and Research) National Craft Assessment and Certification Program (NCACP). For a number of years, we have had no formal method of verifying of skills and knowledge of our craft professionals. Despite that, do we have a workforce full of skilled and knowledgeable folks? We certainly do!
So what does the assessment and certification process provide for an employer? It provides a couple of critical things actually. By assessing the workforce, construction employers can begin to identify what specific skills and knowledge are currently available in their workforce. Need 50 highly skilled carpenters? Want to know how many folks you have that know something about blueprints? An objective assessment can provide these answers and more.
What about all those folks in the workforce who are now well into their career, but do not hold any kind of credentials (a Department of Labor Certificate for example)? Should an employer send them off to class? It may be a valuable use of resources and the employee’s time. The assessment and certification process allows employers to provide third party credentials to these folks and at the same time identify skill and knowledge gaps. It’s a great tool for planning needed training programs.
The process also allows us to provide validation of our workforce to our customers who are trying to make wise choices when it comes to hiring crafts contractors.
Finally, providing industry recognized credentials to the workforce allows an employer to aggressively recruit from high school and vocational programs by showing a career ladder. Parents also look more favorably on careers that offer some sort of certification.
All in all, implementing an assessment and certification program makes good business sense and makes us good Construction Citizens.
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