Everyone Finishes First at Boot Camp Programs: Labor and Management Working together to Educate the Industry

GMCS Editorial:  GMCS strives to provide and maintain an open conduit for communication amongst the region’s developers, facility owners, governmental authorities, employer associations, trades and industry stakeholders through facilitating discussions that lead to industry solutions.  Our organization nurtures a Culture of Collaboration, Communication and Cooperation amongst Contractors and Building Trades.   It is in this same spirit that we celebrate others within our industry that honor these beliefs and make efforts to work together, where possible, to address the larger concerns of the industry.

The Philadelphia region is privileged to be the home of the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI).  In our opinion, FTI is arguably the best workforce training center in our region.  FTI is the education department for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) and the Finishing Contractors Association (FCA). The FTI’s core purpose is to develop and expand a qualified and competitive work force for the finishing trades industries and oversee the apprenticeship training program where those who wish to enter the building trades learn their craft. The FTI not only provides the necessary skills to do the job right the first time, but also provides the training to do it safely. GMCS has worked with FTI in the past to highlight their innovative Tri-Green Pre-Apprenticeship Program; a non-traditional partnership between labor, employers and the public and private workforce development systems. A program that allowed pre-apprentices to complete three  recognized industry certificates while receiving college credits towards their associates or bachelor degree programs. This was a truly innovative and creative partnership focused on creating qualified and certified pre-apprentices for the entire industry, regardless of their affiliation, and free of charge to the participants. From the successes of these beneficial labor/management partnerships of the IUPAT, FTI and the FCA, we have watched the development of the Architectural Glass Institute (AGI). Another management/labor partnership focused on advancing an industry!

AGI is leading the way in our region through their innovative and popular Boot Camp industry programs providing even more educational opportunities and programs. Keep reading to find out more about AGI’s latest industry event and why positive labor/management relations benefit the industry.                

Everyone Finishes First at Boot Camp Programs

Labor-Management partnerships are not necessarily new and innovative.   However, utilizing those partnerships to advance an industry through educational offerings for disciplines outside of those direct stakeholder groups is.  That is what takes place at the Boot Camp programs developed and promoted through the labor-management industry fund, the Architectural Glass Institute (AGI). 

AGI was created to provide a forum for sharing the collective expertise of their affiliated glazier employers of the Philadelphia tri-state region and the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI).  Its inaugural program, Architectural Glass Boot Camp, took place in the fall of 2012 and served as an interactive instructional program developed to provide the design community the opportunity to experience first-hand the installation of various glazing systems. Boot Camp reinforces the importance of collaboration and communication by providing a forum for the exchange of information between designer and craft worker. 

Boot Camp is held at the Finishing Trades Institute, the only stand-alone building trades training program to receive full accreditation from the Department of Education opening the way for apprenticeship graduates to receive college degrees and ultimately raising apprenticeship training to a new level.  As a post-secondary educational institution, FTI has changed their approach to training.  This approach was recognized by the United States Department of Labor when they awarded FTI the Innovator & Trailblazer Award and by the Construction Users Round Table when FTI added their Workforce Development Award to FTI’s trophy case that same year.  These accolades are impressive; however the opportunity to expose the user community first hand through programs like Boot Camp is invaluable.

Most recently, AGI hosted the Finishing Boot Camp program as part of the International Interior Design Association PA|NJ|DE chapter’s fall retreat and was a testimony of labor-management cooperation across multiple trades.  Guided by FTI instructional staff, approximately 50 interior design students and practitioners engaged in hands-on workshops specific to glazing systems, drywall finishing and decorative painting.  The program was sponsored by AGI with individual craft activities sponsored by the affiliated employer association - Architectural Glass and Metal Association (AGMA), Interior Finish Contractors Association (IFCA) and Associated Master Painters and Decorators (AMPD).

The benefits of the Boot Camp program are two-fold.  The Professional Development aspects of the program fulfill a need within the design community for architects and designers to satisfy continuing education requirements.  In many instances it is the first time participants have an opportunity to see how the products and systems they detail on paper actually are constructed.  Even beyond individual products, the workshop discussion frequently hits on important aspects of field construction such as the integration of various components of the building envelope.  There are common issues that come up in the field regarding the differing trades, but most common is the fact that any given installation challenge is unique to that specific project and the success of the solution is directly tied to the expertise of the contractor and workers in the field.  While this discussion is beneficial towards the resolution of installation issues, it leads directly to the overall goal of educating the design and construction community on the value of utilizing qualified contractors who employ FTI trained workforce.

For more information on AGI and the Boot Camp programs, visit www.theagi.org.