Orientation for Supervisors, Superintendents and Managers

1
Orientation for Supervisors, Superintendents and
Managers
COAA Apprentice Mentoring Program
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Todays agenda

• Purpose and objectives
• Why create a program
• Components
• Partners
• Value determination
• Audit
• Other

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Purpose and objectives

• To give an overview of the apprentice mentoring
  program (AMP)
• To provide a historical perspective
• To highlight the value of the program
• To give insight into the administration of the
  AMP
• To discuss why industry should support an AMP
• To solicit comments and feedback

4
Mission statement

• The AMP has been developed to create an
  environment that encourages experienced
  journeypersons to mentor new apprentices to
  become safe, skilled, competent, effective
  journeypersons and leaders

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Vision statement

• A program that helps employers choose the best
  journeypersons to act as mentors and provides the
  mentee with additional tools and skills to
  maximize the value of the experience for both
  parties.
• The outcome is that the program is recognized
  and supported by industry as a desired and
  effective tool that produces highly effective
  journeypersons, thereby maximizing safety,
  employee job satisfaction, efficiency and
  productivity for all stakeholders.

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Purpose and objectives

• To address the key success factors, challenges,
  and potential opportunities for the AMP
• To garner owner and contractor management support
  for the implementation of the AMP
• To contribute towards the development of
  sufficient numbers of highly skilled, qualified
  apprentices for Alberta industry

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Why create a program

• Future projected shortage of skilled tradespeople
• Future construction and maintenance demand
• Aging workforce
• Transfer of journeyperson experience
• Future development of supervisory and management
  candidates
• Investment in the future
• Highlights stakeholders commitment and support
• Enhances stakeholder credibility
• Cost effective/cost benefit determination
• Increases competitiveness present and future

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Why create a program (contd)

• Improves industry image
• Enhances workforce development
• Social and business responsibility
• Broadens industry support
• Moral obligation
• Youth under-employment
• Increases opportunities for women, Aboriginals
  and visible minority employment
• Fewer dropouts equates to less turnover
• Improves safety performance
• Quality work

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Components of the AMP best practice

• Executive summary
• The need for mentoring
• History of mega-project AMPs
• Mission statement
• Purpose of an AMP
• Objectives of mentoring
• Benefits of mentoring (i.e. safety)
• Key ingredients for a successful AMP
• Stages in a mentoring relationship
• Removal from the program
• Roles and responsibilities

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Components of the AMP best practice (contd)

• Implementation of the AMP
• Administration of the program
• Communications
• Program evaluation
• Barriers to effective mentoring
• Managing the Blue Book
• Appendices

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Partners

• Government (Federal/Provincial)
• Owners
• Institutions
• High schools
• Labour providers
• Contractor associations
• Organizations promoting Aboriginals in the trades
• Organizations promoting women in the trades

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Partners (contd)

• Teachers/educators
• Community leaders
• Parents
• Journeypersons
• Apprentices
• Ambassadors
• Media

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Benefits

• Improves health and safety performance
• Helps new workers recognize strengths and
  weaknesses
• Assists new workers to develop new skills and
  insights
• Increases confidence, self-esteem, enthusiasm,
  commitment
• Promotes teamwork and environment of mutual
  cooperation
• Enhances transfer of experience from experienced
  leaders
• Creates a supportive and trusting relationship
  for apprentices to vocalize issues and opinions
• Powerful tool for personal and professional
  development
• Improves competencies, leadership skills,
  self-awareness, morale
• Promotes an inclusive work environment
• Enhances mentor coaching, feedback, communication
  skills
• Provides opportunity to learn in low-risk
  environment

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Barriers to effective mentoring

• Organizational business goals must be clearly
  articulated by senior executives as this program
  evolves so modifications and adjustments can be
  implemented quickly
• Some experienced tradespeople are not prepared to
  mentor and offer few training opportunities to
  bridge gap
• Others are reluctant to pass on their wisdom
• Some mentors see new entrants as potential
  competitors
• Turnover of employees journeypersons and
  apprentices
• Daily pressures on work productivity
• Some employers are concerned about cost of
  training
• Mentees reluctance to participate in the
  learning process
• Mismatch between mentor and mentees
• Unrealistic expectations
• Breaches of confidentiality

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Roles Owner

• Visible, engaged champion of AMP
• May make AMP a contractual requirement
• Provides contractor sufficient resources to
  develop, implement and administer the AMP
• Senior management provides AMP testimonials as to
  the value of the program
• Participates in orientation of mentors and
  mentees
• Participates in AMP recognition and awards
  program
• Gives open, honest, constructive feedback on the
  contractor administration of the AMP
• Supports the contractors efforts in finding and
  providing new and challenging opportunities for
  the mentee

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Roles Engineering procurement construction
manager

• Visible, engaged champion of the AMP
• Provides contractor sufficient resources to
  develop, implement and administer the AMP
• Participates in the orientation of mentors and
  mentees, when requested
• Participates in AMP recognition and awards
  program
• Gives open, honest, constructive feedback on the
  contractor administration of the AMP
• Supports contractors efforts in finding and
  providing new and challenging opportunities for
  the mentee
• Keeps stakeholder management apprised of the AMP
  and its impact on the project
• Encourages contractor participation in the AMP
• Looks for ways to improve the AMP

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Roles Contractor

• Assigns senior manager to be the champion of AMP
• Markets AMP to potential mentor and mentees
• Arranges for orientation for and between mentors
  and mentees, and ensures they understand
  respective roles
• Participates in AMP recognition and awards
  program
• Assigns someone to manage the AMP
• Encourages potential mentors to participate in
  the AMP
• Matches mentors and mentees
• Keeps the EPCM management apprised of the AMP and
  its impact on the project
• Monitors the AMP and suggests changes to enhance
  program effectiveness
• Supports efforts in finding and providing new and
  challenging opportunities for the mentee and
  mentor

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Roles Labour providers

• Are visible champions of the AMP
• Encourage individual mentors and mentees to
  participate in the AMP
• Encourage contractors to participate in the AMP
• Monitor the AMP and suggest changes to enhance
  program effectiveness
• Participate with the EPCM and contractor in the
  AMP implementation
• Promote the AMP in their newsletters
• Participate in AMP recognition and awards
  program, when requested

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Roles First-line supervisors (i.e. foremen)

• Are visible champions of the AMP
• Encourage individual mentors and mentees to
  participate
• Encourage development of apprentice training
  schedule/plan
• Ensure apprentice is assigned meaningful work
• Meet regularly with mentor and mentee to ensure
  objectives of program are being met
• Monitor the AMP and suggest changes to enhance
  program effectiveness
• Participate with employer in AMP implementation
• Promote the AMP in group settings
• Participate in AMP recognition program, when
  requested

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Value determination

• Local supply
• Appraisals
• Recruitment costs
• Statistics
• Knowledge transfer
• Supervisory candidates
• Workforce development

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Value determination (contd)

• Safety performance
• Productivity
• Company and owner reputation
• Number of entrants
• Number of graduates
• Turnover
• Mentor and apprentice feedback
• Manpower availability

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Stages in AMP

• Phase one
• Both mentor and mentee are getting to know each
  other, building trust and developing expectations
  of each other. The interaction that occurs at
  this stage will lay the foundation for a strong
  and beneficial relationship
• Phase two
• Typically the most rewarding time for both mentor
  and mentee. The mutual trust that has developed
  between the two can give the mentee the
  confidence to challenge the ideas of the mentor,
  just as the mentees ideas will be challenged by
  the mentor

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Stages in AMP (contd)

• Phase three
• Typically, the relationship begins to draw apart.
  It is important that the mentor step back from
  the formal relationship to discuss with the
  mentee how they wish to continue their
  relationship
• Phase four
• The mentor-mentee relationship enters a new phase
  where both parties can regard one another as
  equals. They continue to have some form of
  interaction, although on a more casual basis

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Removal from program (mentor or mentee)

• Talk to your partner about continuing or
  terminating the mentorship
• Get help from AMP coordinator or other trusted
  advisors
• Discuss issues with AMP coordinator
• Determine logically and discreetly whether
  mentorship can be saved, is worth saving or
  should be concluded
• Decide whether the mentor and mentee are
  candidates for a future relationship and record
  in the AMP file
• Note all partnerships are voluntary no fault
  termination

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Overview of mentoring action plans (MAP)

• Before entering into a mentoring partnership,
  mentee must define goals and objectives 
• Mentor and mentee work together to complete a MAP
   
• Developmental goals define the desired direction
  for the next timeframe
• Objectives are small steps necessary to progress
  toward developmental goals. Use SMART to make
  sure they are
• Specific well described, do you know what has
  happened?
• Measurable quantifiable or qualitatively, how
  will you know you achieved it?
• Attainable resources and ability, is it
  realistic?
• Relevant important to goal, does it help attain
  the goal?
• Time-bound specific timeframe, what is the
  suspense date?

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Communication plan

• Purpose
• To inform all EPCMs, contractors and labour
  suppliers working on the project, of the AMP
• To encourage ongoing support and participation in
  the AMP of all apprentices, potential mentors and
  supervisors working on the project

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Communication plan (contd)

• Internal stakeholders
• Company senior management
• Project construction manager
• Construction managers
• Managers of Labour Relations, Human Resources and
  Public Affairs, where applicable
• Labour provider leadership
• EPCMs, where applicable
• Mentors and mentees
• Construction supervisors/foremen
• External stakeholders
• Labour providers
• Training institutions
• Apprenticeship and Industry Training
• COAA
• Contractor associations as applicable

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Recognition program and administration

• Recognition program for participants of AMP
• Recognition in company newsletters
• Graduation ceremony
• Mentor/mentee dinner, etc.
• Administration
• Structure to administer
• Keeping record of participants (databank)
• Audit materials and findings
• Blue book administration
• Update process

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Why audit?

• Measure to plan
• Value targets achieved?
• Checklist
• Incentive to support
• Provides a base to recognize performers
• Shows commitment by stakeholders
• Opportunities for improvement
• Enhanced credibility

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Other

• Need targets for utilization of apprentices by
  trade, area of work, stage of project (women,
  Aboriginals and visible minorities)
• Identify areas of high opportunity for use of
  apprentices and skills acquisition by apprentices
• Consider developing, where practical and
  feasible, a training plan for each apprentice
• Establish a policy regarding schooling attendance
• Support alternate schooling mechanisms
• Establish a policy regarding wage payment
• Local focus