Excerpts from the Construction Sector Council Report - Key Mentoring Priorities Identified

The Construction Sector Council (CSC) is a national organization committed to the development of a highly skilled workforce – one that will support the current and future needs of the construction industry in Canada. 

Created in April 2001, and financed by both government and industry, the CSC is a partnership between labour and business. The CSC is governed by a Board of Directors who represent a variety of interests within the construction industry. At the heart of the CSC’s mandate is the need to address human resource issues through partnerships within the construction industry. 

Like many industries, the construction industry faces a number of human resource challenges. These include the need to accurately forecast labour demand and supply, to increase the mobility of workers, to make the most of new technologies, and to cope with an aging workforce. 

As a result, the CSC has identified four key priorities: 

1) Labour Market Information 

2) Technology at Work 

3) Career Awareness Programs 

4) Standards and Skills Development

This study is part of a series of research papers produced through the CSC’s Labour Market Information (LMI) program. The LMI program represents a significant component of CSC activities. It will drive the future work of the organization and inform industry and government decision making.

This report is also available in French, and it is available electronically at www.csc-ca.org.

For more information, or additional copies contact:

The Construction Sector Council

220 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 1150

Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5Z9

Phone: (613) 569-5552

Fax: (613) 569-1220

info@csc-ca.org

Purpose of Study

How is mentoring of apprentices in construction taking place today? How important is mentoring to developing a fully qualified journeyperson? What does it take to be a good mentor of apprentices? 

Are journeypersons well prepared to take on this task?

What is the typical career path for supervisors in construction?

What non-technical skills do they need? 

Can potential candidates be identified early in their work career? 

What is the background of the typical manager in construction?

Are the supervisory and management roles in construction changing? How do these workers acquire their skills?

These and a number of other interesting questions formed the impetus for this study on emerging trends in management, supervision and mentoring in construction. The study was designed as a "pulse taking" to shed some light on the issues as seen by those who are involved on a daily basis in the industry. These topics for the construction industry have not traditionally been analyzed on a standalone basis; this study represents a starting point to assess, based on the views of respondents from the field, whether there are indeed issues worthy of further attention.

Background

The human resource needs of the construction sector have been analyzed in 15 national labour market studies over the recent past. Much attention in these and other studies has been placed on the technical skill upgrading needs of journeypersons and the acquisition of trade skills by apprentices. The focus of studies has traditionally been on the needs of the recipients of training, with less emphasis paid to the deliverers. Further, unlike other industry sectors, there has been less attention paid to management and supervisory issues. 

This project therefore is a departure, as it is about the abilities of journeypersons in construction to mentor apprentices, as well as supervisors’ abilities to manage a workforce, and managers’ abilities to help build an effective business.

This study was commissioned by the Construction Sector Council in 2003. The purpose of the study was to acquire qualitative information on, among other things:

- The importance of mentoring in construction 

- How mentoring is taking place today 

- The non-technical skills required to be an effective mentor 

- How to strengthen mentoring 

- The role of supervisors and managers in construction 

- How these roles may be changing 

- The non-technical skills required to perform these jobs effectively 

- How to strengthen supervision and management 

Methodology

There were three components to the project:

1. A review of various documents by way of background to gain a perspective on the issues and to assist in refining the framework for the study. This review included a scan of various websites and a review of a number of documents. Of particular interest was the October 2001 report prepared by Morley Gunderson on the Potential Elements of a Strategic Human Resource Plan for Residential Construction. 

Although directed to a single sector, it outlined the environment in which the construction industry operates and the challenge of implementing a human resource plan.

A major task was the analysis of 12 national human resource studies, completed between 1996 and 2002.

They covered the following trades: Boilermaker, Carpentry, Cement Mason/Concrete Finisher, Electrical, Floorcovering, Heat and Frost Insulators, Ironworkers, Labourers, Millwright, Pipe Trades, Residential, and Sheet Metal and Roofing. 

A further task was to analyze the 2001 Census data for supervisors and managers in order to generate a profile of these two groups.

2. Interviews with key industry representatives were conducted to ensure that the framework for the project was sound, and to identify respondents for the more extensive field survey. 

3. A telephone survey of 50 respondents from across Canada, using a structured survey instrument designed to capture "qualitative" information. They were selected with a view to having a mixture of industry sectors (new home building and renovation, institutional and commercial, heavy industrial, and civil engineering), stakeholders (contractors, labour groups, industry organizations), geographic areas (provincial, regional, national) and both union and non-union perspectives. The Discussion Guide for the interview was developed from the research questions vetted by the industry representatives. See Appendix D for a copy of the Discussion Guide.

The findings on mentoring were the most comprehensive and are presented first.

Readers are cautioned that the findings from the telephone survey are qualitative in form. They are the views and opinions of a number of knowledgeable people, rather than statistically reliable conclusions. Terms like "most", "many", "some", "few" are used to give guidance as to the proportion of respondents who took the stated position. Not every respondent provided information on every topic.

Findings on Mentoring

Mentoring is a Process of Knowledge and Skills Transfer

For the purposes of this project, the following description of mentoring was used:

The on-the-job training component of apprenticeship is the long-standing traditional way for a new entrant in a construction trade to acquire hands-on experience. Its effectiveness depends in good measure on the ability of a journeyperson to play a mentoring role. In other words, the wiser, more experienced journeyperson is expected to transfer knowledge and techniques to the apprentice.

Mentoring is a process whereby a person i.e., the mentor, supports the development of another person, i.e., the mentee (or in the case of construction, the apprentice), outside the usual supervisor - employee relationship.

By mentoring we mean more than just the traditional apprenticeship model whereby an apprentice works under a journeyperson and is exposed to the technical skills. We have in mind attributes such as:

-> Pairing for a period of time an apprentice with a journeyperson that he/she can go to for guidance and instruction 

-> The development of a professional relationship between the journeyperson and the apprentice, in which the journeyperson takes a keen interest in the success of the apprentice 

-> Involving the journeyperson in developing the training objectives for the apprentice 

-> Time spent by the journeyperson explaining, demonstrating, monitoring and correcting the work of the apprentice 

-> Coaching by the journeyperson on working in construction 

Mentoring Affects About 100,000 Apprentices in Construction

An analysis of the data available from the National Apprenticeship Registration File, as provided by Human Resources Development Canada, suggests that there were about 100,000 apprentices in 2001 across Canada in the construction trades. The file also shows a significant percentage of "discontinued" registrations, totalling about 50% of annual new registrations in 2001. One wonders whether the quality of mentoring could be a factor behind the "discontinue" rate.

The National Human Resource Studies Focussed on Topics Other Than Mentoring

In all of the national studies, there are many references to apprenticeship training. However, the focus in these studies is on issues such as recruitment, retention, curriculum design, national standards, and technical skills. Some studies comment on access by equity groups, barriers to training, tuition costs, Employment Insurance eligibility, and technological change facing the industry.

There is widespread recognition in the studies of the importance of on-the-job training. 

Some studies surveyed workers and/or employers about the quality of on-the-job training which generated mixed results: the reports from Boilermakers, Carpenters and Construction Millwrights provided positive ratings, while the reports from Insulators, Ironworkers and Sheet Metal Workers expressed concerns.

As the studies focussed on other areas, it is perhaps not surprising to learn from the review that:

-> No studies commented on the skills required by journeypersons to be effective mentors; 

-> No studies noted that journeypersons received training to be mentors; 

-> No studies indicated that apprenticeship training included how to be a mentor; and 

-> No studies, with the exception of Electrical included recommendations specifically directed to improving mentoring, beyond improving monitoring of on-the-job training. 

Respondents to the Field Survey View Mentoring As Essential to the Development of a Qualified Journeyperson

In the discussion guide provided to respondents in advance of the telephone interview, we provided the description of mentoring mentioned earlier. There was unanimous support among the respondents for the proposition that mentoring is essential to the development of a qualified journeyperson.

The apprenticeship system is, by design, primarily an on-the-job learning model, with the bulk of training hours (typically well over 80%) taking place in the workplace.

Consequently, what happens to apprentices on the job is absolutely key to their acquisition of the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes.

The items in quotation marks throughout the rest of this report are direct quotes from a single respondent to the telephone survey; that respondent’s position and sector where appropriate are also provided. The terms "he" and "his" are used below, as this is how the respondent phrased the comment; however, the point being made in each case covers all workers.

"Apprenticeship can’t happen without mentoring."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

"It’s the essential philosophy of training in our industry."

[Executive, Residential Contractors’ Association]

"A young person cannot learn a trade without strong guidance."

[Executive, ICI Contractors’ Association]

"You have to invest in apprentices; our ‘star’ workers came from there."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI)]

"A safe workplace depends on apprentices being properly instructed."

[Executive, Construction Firm (Residential]

"It is the key to building pride and professionalism in the workforce."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

There is Variability in how Mentoring is Taking Place

Respondents reported on a wide variety of ways in which apprentices interact with journeypersons on the job:

In some cases, an apprentice is assigned to a single journeyperson for a period of time; in other cases, an apprentice is part of a work crew with no single journeyperson as the mentor.

"On one project, we had an organized program in which an apprentice was matched with a journeyperson."

[Executive, Construction Firm (Heavy Construction)]

"Today, mentoring is done by groups of journeypersons to groups of apprentices."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI and Residential)]

In some cases, an apprentice is on a project that lasts months; in other cases, work assignments are much shorter, leading to many different mentoring relationships in a year.

"The length of time varies, depending on the project, from three months to two years."

[Executive, Construction Company (ICI)]

"An apprentice could have 15 – 20 employers in a year."

[Executive, Training Trust Fund]

In some cases, an apprentice is exposed to a variety of different tasks on a given project; in other cases, an apprentice is assigned to do the same task throughout the duration of the project.

"Apprentices get broad exposure with my firm … they get to build an entire house from start to finish."

[Executive, Construction Firm (Residential)]

"In a large project, journeypersons tend to specialize, and so do the apprentices."

[Executive, ICI Contractors’ Association]

In some cases, it is the foreman/supervisor who takes on the mentoring role.

"In a small firm, the foreman may take on the mentoring role, rather than assigning the task to one of his journeypersons."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

"Mentoring is happening in my [large] firm, but more by foremen and supervisors than by journeypersons."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI and Residential)]

Finally, in some cases, there is no formal apprenticeship system and workers start with low-skilled tasks and later may be instructed by a supervisor or a fellow worker on higher-skilled tasks.

"We don’t have an apprenticeship for most of our workers; they start as labourers and if they show promise, they get instruction on how to operate equipment."

[Executive, Construction Firm (Heavy Construction)]

The Quality of Mentoring is Uneven

Most respondents reported a degree of dissatisfaction with the quality of mentoring as it is being delivered in the workplace today. They express concerns that apprentices are not getting full exposure to the skills, that they are being assigned menial tasks, that there is no formal system to ensure quality mentoring takes place, and that more attention needs to be paid to on-the-job training.

"Very haphazard."

[Executive, ICI Contractors’ Association]

"It tends to happen by default, rather than design."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI)]

"Some apprentices get too narrow an exposure."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI)]

"It’s not being done properly; apprentices are too often just used as helpers."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

"Too often the new apprentice gets assigned to ‘clean up the garbage’. "

[Executive, Residential Contractors’ Association]

"Our in-school training is quite good; our on-the-job training is ‘luck of the draw’."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

However, this was not the universal conclusion .A few respondents provided more positive assessments:

"We have a very well-coordinated and structured system of apprenticeship training across Canada."

[Executive, Training Trust Fund]

"It’s happening, but not in a formal sense."

[Training Coordinator, Contractors’ Association (Residential and ICI)]

"It’s working well for us."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI)]

"We monitor our apprentices and move them if they are not getting a good experience."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

The Typical Journeyperson is not Well Prepared to be a Mentor

We asked respondents the following question: "How well prepared is the typical journeyperson with strong technical skills to take on the mentoring role?" Almost all respondents stated that the typical journeyperson is not currently ready to take on the role effectively. A few respondents volunteered that there are some journeypersons who are well prepared and well suited for the role, but even they acknowledged that the majority are not.

Further exploration of this topic in the interview provided some clues as to why this might be the case:

Mentoring was reported in almost all interviews not to be part of the formal apprenticeship curriculum for in-school training; 

Other than supervisory skills training, there are very few opportunities for a journeyperson to acquire training on how to be a mentor; and 

The importance of mentoring is not being stressed in the workplace. 

"We train workers to be good tradespeople, but we don’t train them to be good trainers."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

Mentoring Requires Strong Personal Attributes and Essential Skills

There was a great deal of consensus on what is required, beyond sound technical skills, to be a good mentor. The requirements can be divided into personal attributes and essential skills1.Most respondents cited examples of both, and many cited the personal attributes first before going on to describe certain essential skills. Below is a statement of the attributes and skills required, as reported most frequently by the respondents:

The Personal Attributes:

Patience 

Compassion, Empathy 

Willingness to share and to help 

Self-confidence 

Pride in own work 

The Essential Skills

Communication skills 

Instruction skills 

Watching / listening skills 

Problem solving / conflict resolution skills 

Motivation skills 

Some respondents offered further insights into what makes for a strong mentor:

"It’s like being a good parent."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

"A mentor has to expect apprentices to ask stupid questions."

[Executive, Construction Firm (Residential)]

"Shut up and watch me is not good enough."

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI)]

"The apprentice assigned to you may have tattoos and body piercing, but he still deserves respect and your instruction."

[Executive, Training Trust Fund]

"Need to resist the temptation to just do it yourself.""

[Executive, ICI Contractors’ Association]

"The soft stuff [skills] is the hard stuff [skills to find.]"

[Executive, Construction Firm (ICI)]

"It takes a knack to find the right teaching moment: is now the time to intervene, or should the apprentice try it again on his own?"

[Executive, Training Trust Fund]

There are a Variety of Barriers to Effective Mentoring

Respondents offered a variety of barriers that stand in the way of creating a stronger system of mentoring in construction:

As noted above, many journeypersons are not well prepared to take on the role, and there are few training opportunities available to bridge that gap. Further, some journeypersons are reluctant to pass on their wisdom to others, expecting them to do it the "hard way", just like the journeyperson did. Some see new entrants as potential competitors for scarce jobs, and are reluctant to support their development. In cases where the journeyperson is paid on a "piece basis" rather than an hourly wage, there is an immediate disincentive to taking time to mentor others.

From an employer’s perspective, the daily pressures on work productivity and the need to complete jobs cost effectively in a competitive environment is said to make it difficult to devote worker time to mentoring. In some cases in the heavy construction sector, where the work is being done during plant shutdowns, the drive to reduce the shutdown time overwhelms opportunities for mentoring.

Further, respondents believe some employers are concerned about the cost of apprenticeship training and the potential to lose the mentoring / training investment they make.

From a journeyperson’s perspective, there is typically no immediate incentive to perform the mentoring task well, in terms of, for instance, premium pay for added responsibilities, or enhanced recognition in the firm.

From the mentee’s perspective, the apprentice needs to have both a willingness and an ability to manage his/her own learning, and to work towards a well-rounded set of skills. Some apprentices are described as not being sufficiently active participants in the learning process.

Though overcoming the barriers is seen as a challenge, there seems to be a strong commitment among respondents to improve the system.

"Let’s build pride in doing a good mentoring job."

[Executive, ICI Contractors’ Association]

"We will need good workers in the future."

[Executive, Construction Firm (Residential)]

"Mentoring is very important, even if it does increase costs."

[Executive, Contractors’ Association]

"You cannot ignore an important piece of long-term productivity."

[Executive, Training Trust Fund]

"We are looking at training journeypersons in mentoring."

[Executive, Residential Contractors’ Association]

"We have been working on raising the awareness of our journeypersons about the importance of mentoring."

[Industry Training Coordinator]

An Example of Mentoring that Produced Positive Results for both Apprentices and Journeypersons

A number of respondents mentioned the special mentoring programs established in Alberta first in 2000 at the Athabasca Oil Sands Downstream (AOSD) Project in Fort Saskatchewan, and subsequently at the Syncrude UE-1 Project in Fort McMurray. These respondents commented that the projects had been successful in enhancing both the quantity and quality of mentoring. Further investigation supported those perceptions, warranting their inclusion in this report as an example of what can be achieved with a focussed approach.

Both the AOSD and the UE-1 are huge industrial projects involving large numbers of workers and many apprentices.

For instance, in February 2002, there were 830 apprentices working on the AOSD Project. The initial Apprenticeship Mentoring Program at AOSD, proposed by the general contractor and supported by the client (Shell Canada) and by the Alberta Building Trades Council, garnered the Best Practice Award from the Construction Owners Associationof Alberta. Syncrude recruited the Apprentice Coordinator from the AOSD Project in late 2002 to implement a similar initiative for its UE-1 Project.

As described in its promotional literature, the Apprentice Mentoring Program at Syncrude UE-1 is designed to help apprentices to:

-> Be safe workers 

-> Enhance their learning opportunities 

-> Increase their understanding of the apprenticeship system and how to effectively navigate through it 

-> Understand Occupational Health & Safety legislation and its impact on employers and employees 

-> Understand the function of the Workers’ Compensation Board and its impact on employers and employees 

-> Raise awareness about the tradespersons’ role and requirements for their own and the industry’s success 

The program involves a one-time-only 4 to 5 hour orientation for apprentices and a journeyperson who is working with the apprentice a fair portion of the workweek, and is willing to share knowledge and experience. Journeypersons are selected by their foremen to participate. (Some journeypersons volunteer and are approved by their foremen).

For the first part of the orientation, apprentices and journeypersons are in separate groups, as the program is outlined to them, and as apprentices complete a skills self-assessment. They are brought together at the end of the orientation session to develop TARGETS (Tradespeople Achieving Reasonable Goals Effectively Together Safely). It involves the apprentice and journeyperson reviewing the apprentice’s skills self-assessment and working together to establish learning objectives for the apprentice. These objectives are to be achievable over a three-month period, and realistic for the apprentice within the scope of work the crew will be executing. The training plan is reviewed by their supervisor and adjustments are made if necessary.

Staff called "Mentoring Specialists" are in the field to administer and maintain the program. Their role is to:

-> Work with apprentices, journeypersons and supervisors to establish learning opportunities (TARGETS)

-> Interview program participants (determine if objectives set are being met, possibly set new objectives)

-> Facilitate changes needed to expose apprentices to various aspects of their trades

-> Elicit support from the field to bring apprentices and journeypersons into the program

-> Coordinate with area supervision to ensure program goals are being met

-> Deliver and collect participant surveys

The program helps to ensure that apprentices get new training objectives as old ones are reached. It assists with rotating apprentices through different assignments, in order to provide exposure to a wide variety of experiences.

The program includes recognition certificates to both apprentices and journeypersons and a small monetary token of appreciation to journeypersons.

For both the AOSD Project and the UE-1 Project, the results of evaluation surveys of apprentices and journeypersons are extremely positive.