The first installment of the PDCA Value Driven Webinar Series for 2024 brought together a diverse panel of seasoned professionals from deep foundations contracting companies to discuss one of the industry's top, and most shared challenges - workforce development. The segment, entitled Solutions to Your Labor Challenges; What We've Learned, was a virtual learning event developed through a collaboration of the PDCA Education Committee, Associate Member Council, and Communications Committee. The one-hour, live broadcast was presented to PDCA viewers on Thursday, February 8th; representatives of member companies receive virtual learning as a no-cost, member benefit, while non-member company personnel are welcome to participate for a nominal registration fee.
Moderating the panel was veteran pile driving journalist Jill Harris of Lester Publications (top left) who publishes PileDriver magazine, among several other channels of PDCA media. Joining Jill were Scott Callaway of Cajun Industries, LLC in Baton Rouge, LA (top, middle), Brian Heck of Richard Goettle, Inc. in Cincinatti, OH (top, right), Brooke Chitwood of Bowen Engineering Corp. in Indianapolis, IN (bottom, left), Warren Baker of DFI Piling in Houston, TX, Edmonton, AB, and Australia (bottom middle), and Michael Wysockey of Chicago-based Thatcher Foundations (bottom, right).
The format of the webinar allotted each panelist one question, specific to his or her function with their respective company. Several other prepared questions were tossed to the panel for them to answer at will, from their own varying experiences. Viewers also submitted questions which were addressed toward the end of the broadcast. The lively and entertaining discussion elicited valuable insights and ideas from the five industry professionals, information that can be useful to other employers who face challenges with workforce development.
Construction trades, engineering, and other building sector professions have been vocal about staffing challenges for the better part of the last decade. PDCA works to establish educational and other resources, such as the February 8th webinar, that can provide information and guidance to the industry with an objective to help employers mitigate workforce challenges.
In case you missed it, the archived broadcast of the PDCA Value Driven Webinar Series - Solutions to Your Labor Challenges; What We've Learned segment will be available for download, in full, in The PDCA Store in coming weeks. Also, watch for a special feature in the next PileDriver magazine which will publish a transcription of the broadcast. You will also see social media posts and other media coverage of the insightful event.
PDCA thanks the moderator, panelists, attendees, and sponsors Lester Publications and Palmetto Pile Driving, for making this webinar possible.
