It seems that spring weather is finally here to stay and with it comes a lot of association activity on your behalf at both the state and national level. Two weeks ago, AGCVA’s CEO, Brandon Robinson, and I attended AGC of America’s annual convention in Las Vegas. This was an incredible opportunity to connect with 2,000 other AGC members from across the nation, exchange thoughts, and learn together. We both returned full of energy and with new ideas to help continue moving not only AGCVA, but you and your business forward. Being immersed in such a large group of our fellow members really confirmed for me all that AGC of America and AGCVA do to support us, our companies, and our entire industry. I’d like to share a few of those ways that our association (both at the state and national level) are advocating for us, growing our organizations, and connecting us with those we need to see to do business.
ADVOCATE
Without AGC of America and AGCVA working on our behalf, the regulatory and legal world can be a frightening place. At both a state and a federal level, our association is fighting back against many onerous federal regulations and laws that are harmful to the construction industry. In 2021, AGC of America led the effort to stop the PRO Act and AGCVA was instrumental in that effort. That endeavor continues and we will keep you apprised as to what is taking place. Additionally, AGC of America effectively blocked the employer vaccine mandate. We should also not forget that it was AGC of America who kept jobsites open at the start of the pandemic by ensuring construction was deemed essential. While these are past efforts, they are important ones, and there is so much more work being done. I would encourage you to sign up for AGC of America’s action alerts. This will not only keep you apprised of the endeavors taking place on your behalf, but it gives you the opportunity to add your voice to the collective voice of construction across all AGC chapters.
GROW
The severe shortage of trained workers is a major concern and a top challenge industry wide. AGC of America released a comprehensive report from its second Workforce Summit, which AGCVA’s Director of Workforce & Training, Courtney Baker, and Brandon participated in last fall in Phoenix. This report can be found on AGCVA’s website and it identifies best practices and solutions from across the country that are aimed at dealing with this issue.
Additionally, we have immediate solutions to help you fill the gaps on your own team and build a robust talent pipeline. There are two important pages on AGCVA’s website that connect you with resources that can help you quickly address current or future employment needs. First, AGCVA’s workforce partners offer a wealth of solutions to help you find new members of your team. Additionally, the new Grow Your Team page houses a list of upcoming career fairs and opportunities to connect with individuals actively seeking work. If you have not visited these pages and put these resources to work, I encourage you to do so right away.
Further, AGCVA and AGC of America are also equipping you with ways to grow the individuals on your team, by providing numerous training opportunities, both in-person and virtually. AGCVA’s calendar is full of options to help grow your individual team members, which therefore helps your organization to grow and thrive as well. Further, AGC of America offers an entire suite of top-notch virtual programming called AGC Edge. These courses allow your team the convenience of attending from where they are, while avoiding the need to and the cost of travel. For each AGCVA member that attends these courses, AGCVA receives a revenue share from AGC of America, so this is a great option to develop your team and support your association at the same time.
While in Las Vegas, I was also encouraged to see all the student chapters from America’s colleges and universities. AGCVA is actively working to revive the student chapters at our own institutions of higher education in Virginia, and you’ll be hearing more about this as the year goes on.
CONNECT
One of AGCVA’s core values is the camaraderie that we share, and I was able to experience this camaraderie more broadly as I met contractors and fellow members from across the country. It reinforces for me the incredible network that is available to us by our belonging to this community. It has never been easier to connect, and we can easily do so through AGC’s mobile app. If you have not yet downloaded AGC Connection through your preferred app store, I encourage you to do so.
Our CEO had the opportunity to meet and attend sessions with chapter executives and staff from the other 88 chapters across the country. This event provided Brandon with the opportunity to learn how to better engage and serve our members, both from experts in the field, and from his peers across the country.
Brandon and I were also able to enjoy time with several AGCVA members who made the trip to Las Vegas, including a group dinner that was graciously hosted by Milwaukee Tool specifically for our group of AGCVA members. I’d like to say special thanks for their generosity and hospitality, which provided us with a fun evening to be together.
The value of AGCVA membership cannot be overstated. As a longtime member who has always found tremendous value in our AGCVA community, even I was reminded of the numerous opportunities that we all must allow AGCVA and AGC of America to work for us. I challenge you to find a new way to engage with our association in the next month. I am certain you won’t be disappointed. The value of AGCVA membership is tremendous and I am grateful to not only serve as your Chair but be part of this community with you.