LAS VEGAS – Â鶹´«Ã½ of America's (Â鶹´«Ã½) 89th Annual Convention will offer unprecedented education and training to thousands of general and specialty contractors in Las Vegas, March 10–14. This year's record–breaking curriculum includes training in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and green building, and five professional development tracks. The executive and risk management tracks will offer International Association for Continuing Education & Training (IACET) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to aid in personal certification or maintenance of licensure.
"Education is one of the greatest benefits Â鶹´«Ã½ offers its members," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of Â鶹´«Ã½. "This year's variety of opportunities, from BIM to our Building to LEED®–NC program to addressing work force challenges, we once again set new standards."
Â鶹´«Ã½ will showcase BIM 101: An Introduction to Building Information Modeling, a four–hour class which will offer an overview of BIM's use on selected projects, a demonstration of its capabilities and an outline of how it alters normal business practice. The session is intended for contractors who are considering or are in the process of introducing the technology to their business.
Â鶹´«Ã½ will provide many green building programs to help contractors meet the latest needs of their clients. Building to LEED®–NC: Overview and the Impact on Construction Practices will explain the contractor's role in a project intended to achieve certification under LEED®–NC. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Clean Diesel Program is a partial sponsor of this program debut, and representatives will be on–site to give a report on the National Clean Diesel Program. The Â鶹´«Ã½â€“ASPE Estimating Academy: LEED Estimating for Green Buildings will provide an overview of LEED requirements and information to prepare estimators to effectively bid and prepare for work on a green building project. The Â鶹´«Ã½â€“endorsed publication, Contractor's Guide to Green Building Construction by Thomas E. Glavinich, D.E., P.E., also will be released at the Convention and introduces how the green elements of a project may impact construction decision–making.
In addition to these special educational opportunities, the professional development and training at this year's convention includes such session topics as: Developing Future Talent; How to Estimate and Manage Labor Costs for a Project; Good to Gone! Why Contractors Fail; and Understanding the Opportunities and Challenges Inherent in Public/Private Partnerships. Every 10 hours of qualified class time earns one IACET CEU.
Â鶹´«Ã½ of America (Â鶹´«Ã½) is the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States. Â鶹´«Ã½ represents 33,000 firms, including 7,500 of America's leading general contractors and 12,500 specialty–contracting firms. More than 13,000 service providers and suppliers are associated with Â鶹´«Ã½ through a nationwide network of chapters. Visit the Â鶹´«Ã½ Web site at . Â鶹´«Ã½ members are "Building Your Quality of Life."
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