Training Director

Training Director Position at LIUNA Training of Michigan (LTM)

Job description:

The Training Director is responsible for many of the day-to-day management issues that come up at the Perry, Wayne, Saint Joseph, and Iron Mountain training sites. You are responsible for the assessment and identification of construction contractors’ training and development needs. You must keep current on any changes in the construction industry and then meet with the training team to decide if LTM needs to offer any new training classes. (Examples would include Employee Engagement, or the new Line Dragon concrete placement equipment) You should actively search for creative training designs, then implement effective methods for enhancing classroom performance. In other word, “is our training any good, is it student centered, active based, hands-on or fun? If not, what needs to take place to improve this? Much of the Training Director’s job can be broken into three separate classifications. 1. Essential, 2. Important, 3. Optional.

1.Essential Tasks of the Training Director:

• The one task, if not completed, that will cause trouble from many outside sources is the training class schedule. Although students are told to apply for the classes they need, they all want to be able to click online and view a list of the upcoming classes. The Training Director currently sets up all the future training for Perry, Iron Mountain, Saint Joseph. and Wayne site. The class schedule also needs to include all the environmental refresher classes. The Training Director should look over the current class applications and then examine what the class schedule looked like the previous year. Class needs can change, an example would include the current demand for Qualified Rigging classes.
• Is responsible for a monthly activity report based on the entire training staff. The report is emailed to the District Council. The reoccurring question from outside forces is “what do the trainers do when they are not teaching classes”. The report answers those questions, they could include community service projects, curriculum design, class handouts, etc.
• Is responsible for all the training staff’s professional development and training needs, who are OSHA certified, when does that certification expire, do you have enough MSHA trainers, do we need to send anyone off to this year’s Solor Worker Train the Trainer?
• Soft Skills: One of the main roles of the Training Director is to smooth things over, to be the glue that keeps the training center rolling along. Some days that might mean being a therapist, coach, or conflict resolution expert. With many people working together, they can get on each other’s nerves and wear each other down. The Director will need to listen deeply and not be quick to jump to a conclusion. Involve your teammates by asking what they think should be done to resolve their problems. Always try to work through these issues in private. Remember that staff morale is important to the quality of the students’ training experience.
• You will need to master the art of prioritizing training demands. If a signatory contractor has a need for a specific training class, then you will learn to figure which class to cancel to accommodate that request.

Important Tasks of the Training Director:

• Is responsible for all Spring Kick-Offs or Construction Safety Days. Most of the training staff are comfortable teaching classes with 10-15 students, but the spring kick-offs are a different situation as they can include 100-400 participants. LTM’s staff are all qualified professional trainers, LTM trainers are very good at what they do. As the Director you will need to make sure the training staff is prepared to offer quality training to the larger audience.
• Work with the Assistant Training Director to plan the two companywide meetings each year. Each meeting has a topic and an agenda, addressing topics like Conflict Resolution, or reviewing the past issues to avoid mistakes in the future and establish best practices.
• Is responsible for monitoring the quality of the training that is offered at the four training centers. One technique can involve “Thin Slicing” You do not have to spend hours in every instructor’s class. You can usually tell within the first hour or two if the instructor is doing a quality job of training.
• Work with the Assistant Director, staff and the Co-Chairs to plan and implement the yearly training projected budget.

3. Optional Tasks of the Training Director:

• Is responsible for helping the Apprenticeship Coordinator with career fairs, high school fairs, and community outreach. In this capacity you are a salesperson for LIUNA, learn to explain to a young adult why becoming a LIUNA member is a good thing.
• Is responsible for scheduling yourself to teach some of the classes that we offer at LTM. It never hurts to teach a few eight-hour refreshers each year, this will keep you current as a certified ANSI instructor and your training staff will appreciate you more knowing that you are part of the training team that can take over a class in case they have a family emergency, sick day, or Dr. appointments.
• Take ownership of LTM’s online training LMS. Do we need to offer more online classes? Can we improve and update the current class offerings?
• Is responsible for updating, saving, organizing all the class hand-outs, quizzes, paperwork, employee manual, etc.
• Is responsible for facilitating the personnel committee for any new hires at the training center. What questions are asked in the interview, will there be a teach back, etc.
• Is responsible for the “Look Ahead” or the future needs of LTM. What is the current staff size? What are the ages of the instructor staff? How many will retire in the next 3-5 years? What will construction look like in the future, will we need to offer classes in robotics, programing, drones, etc.?
• Participate in professional committees to establish the fact that the Laborers are a professional organization. They may include Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) (Detroit Access For All) (Detroit Workforce of the Future) (The State of Michigan Construction Code Council) (LIUNA Training Scheme Committee on Instructor Development) Etc.

Job qualifications and requirements:

Education: The Training Director should have a degree in Training & Development, Career and Technical Education, Construction Management, Psychology, Business, or any other related field; or an equivalent of the same in working experience is also acceptable.

Experience: A candidate for this position must have at least 5-10 years of working experience in training and construction.

A suitable candidate should demonstrate experience in designing training materials. An appropriate candidate should also have a proven ability to foster mentoring relationships and to drive classroom improvements in the current training staff.

Communication Skills: Communication skills are a must for this position, both in written and in verbal form.

You will also be required to create training materials and reports, which must be clear, concise, and understandable. You must have the ability to adapt the most complex messages for different audiences in a manner that they can understand and relate to.

Microsoft Office: A candidate for the position must be highly proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint, which is necessary for the creation of visually and verbally engaging training materials.

Analytical Skills: A candidate for this position must possess strong analytical skills as well as a demonstrated passion for research, data analysis, and the insights that are derived from it. You will demonstrate an ability to carry out analyses on the performance of training programs while drawing insights that lead to their improvement.

Interpersonal Skills: A candidate for this position must have the ability to prioritize tasks, complete multiple tasks in a timely manner, be flexible and welcoming to change, have an ability to work independently with minimal or no supervision, and be self-motivated. They must also be a prompt decision maker, a strategic and creative thinker, have excellent problem-solving skills, have a positive and easy-going attitude, demonstrate strong work ethic and integrity, and demonstrate calmness and composure in times of uncertainty.

Leadership/People Skills: The candidate must additionally demonstrate strong leadership qualities that show an ability to influence a cross-functional team into following a course of action. They must also be approachable and likeable, inspiring trust in others, which will make it easier for people to trust their insights and follow their directives in their leadership position.

Who this position reports to:

The Training Director will communicate with and report to the Board of Trustees, the District Council, and the Contractor Community.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Training: 5 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Perry, MI 48872 (Required)

Work Location: In person