The first of four Lift & Move USA career events in 2017 was held February 14 in Tampa, Florida, hosted by ALL Crane Rental of Florida, LLC, part of the ALL Family of Companies. The event saw approximately 450 young people from local schools and colleges who converged on ALL Crane’s Tampa facility to learn first-hand about careers in the crane, rigging and specialized transport industry and to see heavy equipment at close quarters. I attended one of the Lift & Move events last year in Houston and shared some video interviews I recorded then.
Lift & Move USA is a program promoting careers in the industry to high school and college students and veterans. It was launched in 2015 by the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), and industry publisher KHL Group, owners of American Cranes & Transport magazine.
Brett Melvin, Executive Director of Lift & Move USA, told the Tampa Bay Times following the event in Tampa:
“The program is brought together by the crane, rigging, and specialized carrier industry to address the skills gap that we are having in this industry. It is not unique just to this industry, it is in all skilled labor industries today and it is going to grow.
“As we have an Administration that is talking about spending up to a Trillion Dollars in infrastructure, we are going to continue running out of people to fill these positions. We are looking at as many as 10 million positions in the next five years that will be unfilled because we have not put a focus on people moving into the skilled positions. Skilled positions can pay an excellent salary; they can give people a great career. It’s not just a job – it’s a career.”
A key supporter is the SC&R Foundation, which supports SC&RA members and works to address the
industry labor shortage. Kris Liptak from ALL Crane, said:
“I’ve had the opportunity to grow up in the industry, making something that looks impossible a reality. Working on the biggest machines in the world, lifting entire ships out of the water, setting flag poles on top of buildings 1,000 feet in the air, and building power plants that keep lights on in our homes.
“These are all things that happen on a daily basis for our Tampa crew. People see the projects we’ve worked on and ask themselves, ‘How do they do that?’ or ‘How did that get there?’ We need the next generation of employees to do the things that make other people wonder, ‘How?’”
The event could help students get their first job, as Liptak explained before the event in Tampa, “ALL Crane is excited to host the next Lift & Move conference in Tampa because we want the next generation of talent to come to ALL.”
The Lift & Move USA events in 2015 and 2016 attracted more than 2000 students and veterans, and the program is now gearing up for what promises to be another successful year.
The Tampa event was the first of four that will take place in 2017, with the full program as follows:
- February 14, 2017 - Tampa, Florida - hosted by ALL Crane
- May 3, 2017 - Chicago, Illinois – hosted by Lifting Gear Hire
- September 14, 2017 - Ft. Wayne, Indiana– hosted by Buchanan Hauling
- November 15, 2017 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana– hosted by Berard Transportation and Deep South Crane
Industry professionals – in particular SC&RA member companies – are urged to attend any of the events in their region to get a flavor of the program. The entry is free for students, parents, teachers, and veterans. Register online at the Lift & Move website.
Brett Melvin said; “Momentum is building for the Lift & Move program. The format for the event has evolved since the first conference in June 2015, and we have an event that really delivers for the students, schools and host companies.
“The key is to give the students the direct testimony of people currently working in the industry. Their personal stories are a powerful way to communicate the job satisfaction and rewards of a career in crane, rigging, and specialized transport.”
As Melvin said to the Tampa Bay Times:
“College isn’t for everybody, and everybody cannot afford the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars of debt that can come with college. But if you enter the right skilled industry, you will be appreciated, and you will have a great career, a great potential for building a great family life, and [for] fulfilling the American Dream.”
Watch the 4-minute video below to learn more.
Lift & Move USA is an industry initiative to promote job opportunities in the crane, rigging and specialized transport industries, and is targeted at high school students, college students and military veterans. It will educate the next generation of drivers, mechanics, welders, operators, and riggers on opportunities within the industry. The next event is scheduled for May 3 in Chicago, Illinois.
