As a project engineer in the construction industry, you are responsible for coordinating with various teams to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. You may also be involved in designing, planning and implementing various aspects of construction projects.

If you are looking to progress in your career and become a project manager, there are several steps you can take to increase your chances of success.

5 Steps to Become Project Manager

1. Gain experience: One of the most important things you can do to progress in your career is gaining as much experience as possible. Working on various projects, taking on additional responsibilities, and seeking opportunities to learn and grow can help achieve this goal.
2. Build your skills: As a project manager, you will need to have a wide range of skills, including leadership, communication, problem-solving and decision-making. Focus on developing these skills through on-the-job experience and additional training and education.
3. Network: Make an effort to network with other professionals in the field, including project managers, engineers and other key players in the construction industry.
4. Earn a relevant degree or certification: While experience and skills are important, many employers look for candidates with a formal education in a related field. Consider earning a degree in construction management or a related field or obtaining a certification, such as a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
5. Demonstrate your ability to lead: As a project manager, you will lead a team of engineers and other professionals. Show that you can lead by taking on leadership roles within your current organization or volunteer for leadership positions in industry organizations or community groups.

Following these steps can help increase your chances of progressing your career from a project engineer to a project manager. With hard work, dedication, and a focus on building your skills and experience, you can take your career to the next level.

Career Development Opportunities

At RK, we understand the importance of professional development and career progression for our project engineers. That’s why we offer mentorship where experienced project managers can guide and support our engineers’ career growth.

From on-the-job experience to additional training and education opportunities, our project engineers acquire the skills and experience necessary to progress in their careers. We also encourage networking and provide opportunities for our project engineers to connect with other industry professionals and take on leadership roles within our organization.

If you’re a project engineer looking to take the next step in your career, RK is here to support you every step of the way!

What is Safety Week?

Construction Safety Week started in 2014 with 40 national and global construction firms from the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) group and the Incident and Injury Free (IIF) CEO Forum. The goal is to inspire everyone in the industry to be leaders in safety by sticking to the following guidelines:
• Thank workers for supporting safety and recognizing their efforts to be injury-free
• Increase awareness of the importance of being committed to safety, every day
• Encourage everyone to share best practices and to work together to strengthen the industry’s safety culture
• Conduct onsite safety awareness activities to support education

Safety Week aims to strengthen the industry’s safety culture and performance by sharing best practices, tools and resources.

Connected. Supported. Safe.

This year, the Construction Safety Week forum theme is “Connected. Supported. Safe.” Being connected gives workers a collective sense of strength because they are building a stronger, more robust, safer industry together. Supported means fellow colleagues are helping each other stay present and focused on the job, regardless of the role or workplace setting. It means the industry as a whole is equipped with the resources and support they need to work safely every day. Safety is a priority and obligation for all frontline workers. It is a shared responsibility to look after the well-being and safety of everyone on every jobsite, which empowers everyone to do their best work and return home safely every day.

Fall Protection: A Top Priority

The OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction will also be held during this same week, raising fall hazard awareness across the country to stop fall fatalities and injuries. Falls are the top cause of construction fatalities and account for one-third of on-the-job injury deaths in the industry. Each year in the U.S., more than 200 construction workers are killed, and over 10,000 are seriously injured by falls.

RK and HSE Department Promote Safety Week

RK, under the direction of the HSE Department, is participating in Construction Safety Week by focusing on fall prevention and onsite safety across all business units. The goal of this week is to build up awareness to prevent fall injuries from roofs, ladders and leading edges by
encouraging every RK employee to:
• PLAN ahead to get the job done safely.
• UTILIZE safety resources when planning.
• PROVIDE the right equipment.
• TRAIN everyone to use the equipment safely.

Construction Safety Week allows the industry to reengage workers to remember the importance of safety. Each year there is a theme or specific topic, however, safety must be practiced everyday. The Focus Four are four leading hazards in the construction industry: falls, caught in or between, struck by, or electrocution. Being trained and recognizing these hazards can help prevent work-related accidents and possible fatalities.

RK’s number one core value is safety and empowers employees to take responsibility for their safety and for those working alongside them. The company’s number one priority is always ZERO injuries.

RK is proud to be accredited as an OSHA VPP Star Worksite and OSHA VPP Star Mobile Workforce, ranking in the 0.03% of U.S. companies with VPP certification at any level and as the 53rd U.S. company to earn Star Mobile Workforce status.

Written by Ileana Morales

Connected.Supported.Safe., accessed April 28, 2022, Construction Safety Week

Construction Focus Four Training, accessed April 28, 2022, OSHA

National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, accessed April 28, 2022, OSHA

Voluntary Protection Programs, accessed April 28, 2022, OSHA

Workplace culture has never been more important. After an uncertain few years, people are seeking employment at businesses that offer robust programs to support them outside of the standard benefits packages. Employers must be creative to be competitive in hiring top talent. Integrating philanthropy into a company’s culture can have many benefits and is linked to higher levels of employee happiness, collaboration and innovation. Current and prospective employees are looking for organizations to go beyond the paycheck and get behind social issues. Creating a value-based company can prove to be more resilient to withstand crises like pandemics, disasters, and social unrest because its values keep it anchored in challenging times.

Focusing on causes that employees care about can increase engagement level and connection to the company. Furthermore, people are passionate about serving others they see in their daily lives, so organizations can connect that natural human instinct to create an employee fund that inspires colleagues to help each other with unforeseen financial burdens.

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous fields to work in. Unexpected events can happen on a jobsite, causing injury and possible death. At RK, safety is the number one value, which is infused companywide from field workers to office employees and even their families. However, there are situations that one cannot control. After a cluster of accidents and severe injuries, RK formed a charter committee to research corporate hardship funds and established a 501(c)(3), RK Cares Foundation. By establishing the foundation as a 501(c)(3), funds are granted to individual employees tax-free.

The RK Cares HERO Fund, a grant program from the RK Cares Foundation, was started to encourage RK employees to help one another. It is an emergency relief fund that is a resource for RK employees and/or their immediate family members when they experience financial hardships such as medical emergencies, the death of a family member, and loss of housing or transportation due to unexpected circumstances. RK employees donate collectively to support co-workers and their families to help each other recover and rebuild.

HERO
H – Helping
E – Employees
R – Rebuild, Recover, Restore, Renew, Repair, Reduce, Rally, Return and….
O – Overcome

Since 2019, the RK Cares HERO Fund has granted $106,600 to over 50 employees or their immediate families. In 2021 alone, over $60,000 was granted to RK employees in need. After an initial $25,000 grant from the RK Foundation, the HERO Fund has been entirely funded by employee payroll donations and internal fundraisers. The breakdown of assistance is:

• – Bereavement = 27%
• – Emergency Housing or Transportation = 21%
• – Medical = 52%

The goal is to continuously increase employee awareness of the HERO Fund and promote a company based on values and mutual support for one another. Ultimately, people make a company great, and it is important to show that they are not alone when they need a helping hand.

The RK Cares HERO Fund is a corporate social responsibility program of RK. The HERO Fund is part of the RK Cares Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3), that oversees RK’s philanthropic efforts, as well as employee and community outreach and engagement.

Written by Ileana Morales

 Any Company Can Make Giving Back a Part of its Culture. Here’s How., accessed February 22, 2022, Operator Collective 

How to Make Giving Back Part of Your Company Culture, accessed February 22, 2022, Utah Business

Each new year brings predictions about trends that may impact the construction industry. 2020 appears to  be hyper-focused on the health and well-being of employees. The current labor shortage has highlighted the need for a  more strategic approach to worker’s safety, health and wellness, and innovative technology that will change the approach of the normal work-day for the better. Let’s explore some of the trends that are predicted to impact our workforce and worksites in 2020.

Offsite Solutions are the New Standard
To control costs, create  faster speed-to-market, and incorporate better consistency and quality,  companies have been choosing offsite manufacturing and modular solutions. These approaches have grown in popularity over the past decade and are more in demand than ever.  The healthcare and apartment industries have seen projects built faster than ever with much of the construction happening offsite in a controlled manufacturing environment that eliminates surprises and mitigates risk. The demand will continue to grow for offsite and modular solutions in 2020.

State-Of-The-Art Safety Equipment
Safety is the cornerstone of the construction industry, requiring top-of-the-line safety equipment, which is ever evolving. In 2020, one of the most intriguing new gadgets to hit the market are exoskeletons. These wearable machines have motorized joints which decrease laborer injury while allowing them to safely carry more weight. Another exciting tool recently released is “smart” work boots. These seemingly regular boots connect to Wi-Fi and send GPS coordinates to alert supervisors if their employees are exhausted or have fallen. We’re excited to see what other technological advances this year will bring our way.

Incorporation of New Technology
The incorporation of technology doesn’t mean the need for skilled laborers will decrease. In fact, introducing new technology into the construction industry is only meant to streamline current work practices. With the introduction of  3-D printing, mobile and cloud applications, drones, and advanced BIM technology, individuals can now work more efficiently, save costs, and help projects run more efficiently. Part of the increase in the interest in new technology stems from the demographical change in workforce. The construction industry is seeing an increase in aging workers retiring, so the focus has shifted to a younger workforce who may be less knowledgable, and greatly benefit from the help of newly released tech tools.

New Health and Wellness Initiatives
As a leader of health and wellness and suicide prevention in the construction industry, discovering new ways to ensure our employees are healthy, happy, and heard is a top priority at RK. From early addiction intervention to on-site wellness coaches, RK is facing the health and wellness issues of our employees head-on. It’s important that the construction industry continues to destigmatize mental health and addiction issues, and embrace any new strategies meant to support our employees.

Adjustment to Labor Shortage
Labor shortage in the construction industry has been an ongoing challenge for several years, but leaders in the industry are finding creative ways to offset the effects. RK is addressing the labor shortage with our successful apprenticeship program, in-house leadership and management training programs, incorporation of new technology, and  competitive wages. As an aging workforce approaches retirement, it’s important that construction companies begin to move into more forward-thinking policies and standards to entice today’s younger labor force.

There’s no true indication of how 2020’s construction trends will impact our industry, but the focus should always ensure profitability while also maintaining the health and wellness of employees. This new decade is an exciting time for the construction industry, and as it evolves, it’s imperative to stay up-to-date on products and services that will keep the industry competitive and successful.

By: RK 

Optimism is high for the construction industry in 2018, but as with any business, the reality of the challenges facing our field is a possibility and you need to stay prepared to weather the storm.

Here are a few tips to help your company remain competitive.

Issue: Skilled Trades Shortage

2017 saw a massive increase in the need for skilled workers, and 2018 is no different. Unfortunately, the industry is having difficulty finding skilled laborers to keep up with the demand. The shortage of skilled tradespeople means builders are facing the stark realization that in order to staff their job sites and stay competitive, they need to provide training, competitive wages and also be prepared to offer more overtime.

Tip:

• Implement creative recruiting strategies and apprenticeship programs to entice students to learn a trade rather than attend a traditional four-year university.
• Offer onsite job training, university credits as part of an apprenticeship program, and benefit packages to sweeten the deal.

Issue: Accelerated Schedules

Unfortunately, with soaring land and material costs, owners and developers are demanding faster construction time lines which leads to accelerated project schedules and places a strain on subcontractors.

Tip:

• Plan ahead. By creating a staffing plan and sticking to it, you will then be prepared to staff your job site during peak construction and avoid paying employees overtime.

Issue: Industry Bias

Graduating design students may feel as though the construction industry isn’t a line of business that will foster their design skills and put them to use. Although the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) was adapted at a leisurely pace, successful companies are investing money into building robust BIM departments. Graduating design students have the skillset necessary to fill these positions within the construction industry.

Tip:

• Recruit those graduating with design degrees that require basic skillset and knowledge needed to work in a CAD department. This sought after skill is also appealing to those graduating with a focused design degree from major universities while also guaranteeing more efficient work practices for employers.

RK understands that even when you face challenges, you still need high quality craftsmanship and skilled professionals to create accommodations that represent your company. For additional details on how we can assist you, please contact our sales team at 303.355.9696 and/or rksales@rkindustries.com.