The job of a Foreman may come with a bigger paycheck, but a key downside to the job has been that it hasn’t historically come with an instruction manual.

That’s been changing, though - thanks to the decision by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Brotherhood (IBEW)’s Seventh District to create a Foreman Education and Training Program called the Foreman’s Development Series (FDS).

“When you become a Foreman, too often you learn on the job, getting tips from here and there,” said FDS Executive Director Tom Ross, a retired and long-time Member of Albuquerque, New Mexico Local 611. “You make a whole lot of mistakes and hope you get better at it.”

“Our hope is that FDS shortens that learning curve,” added Ross, who for many years has worked with the New Mexico JATC and has been overseeing FDS since 2020.

Inaugurated in 2010 and continually updated and refined, FDS stresses active learning via group problem-solving and role-playing exercises.

Its training modules are meant to prepare candidates for a variety of real-world construction job scenarios by covering such topics as the Foreman’s role, material and production management and Labor Relations, with current and potential Foremen participating alongside experienced Journeymen.

The seeds of FDS were planted in the mid-2000s.

The Seventh District, which services Members in Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, had implemented several programs to aid in expanding market share in the Construction Branch.

One of these was a comprehensive Code of Excellence Program, adopted by all Construction Locals in the District, that stressed the need for qualified supervision in addition to improved Worker productivity.

At various Code training sessions, Members reported hearing complaints, verified as valid, from contractors about a lack of qualified Foremen, something that too often prevented them from staying competitive or bidding more work.

“A situation like this affects all of our livelihoods,” Ross said.

A study, commissioned in 2004 by the IBEW’s Industry Partners at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and conducted by the Electrical Contracting Foundation, backed up the contractors’ complaints.

It showed that, in a typical Union Shop Model, labor in the field controls productivity and profitability.

Yet, more than 90% of Construction Foremen working in the industry reported having almost no management or professional leadership education and training.

Further, barely half of Electrical Contractors were offering any in-house management training, often because they weren’t large enough to have the resources for it.

To Continue Reading This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Story, Go To: Training Program for Foremen Helps Fill Education Gap (ibew.org)