In Nabholz’ purpose statement, we promise to grow our people, serve our clients, and build our communities. To grow our people and our company, we’ve established training programs at every level of the company. Our training programs help us to recruit new employees and promote from within. By creating skills training and career advancement opportunities, we carry on our founder’s philosophy:
Company Founder Bob Nabholz
“Reinvest your profits in people and training at all levels of the organization. Construction is a people business, and the contractors with the best people always survive.” – Company Founder Bob Nabholz
STEP ONE: BUILD A TALENT POOL
Attract talent at all age and training levels through educational programs aimed at both high-school and college students and the general public.
Youth Apprenticeship Program: This flexible scheduled program was created in partnership with the local school districts. The program allows young people 16-18 years of age to work directly for Nabholz in a learning capacity. After time as a learner in the workforce, the apprentice can then enter Nabholz, at 18, as a more skilled and educated employee.
College Internships: Open to students in construction management or similar degree paths, our intern program gives participants the chance to work alongside the Nabholz team, learning the construction business from the inside out. We guarantee a 40-hour workweek, competitive wages, and an interview with our company upon graduation.
Craft workers can develop technical and leadership skills through the following programs, which become available as their careers progress.
We currently have three specific skill development programs:
In-house carpentry apprenticeship: Described above. This cornerstone program is often taught by graduates and has produced hundreds of Nabholz project managers and superintendents who have enjoyed long careers with the company
Millwright apprenticeship: for existing industrial craft professionals – three years of standard Millwright training and one-year welding or CNC training
Operator training: for laborers and entry-level operators in excavation division – one year of training to gain “seat time” and operator experience, with emphasis on safe operation and equipment maintenance
STEP THREE: RECOGNIZE AND TRAIN TALENT
When managers see the potential for leadership in employees, they either nominate or encourage that employee to attend further development programs.
For field professionals, these include:
Craft Leadership Development: For new or aspiring crew leaders from any Nabholz specialty group – one year of developing leadership skills needed to oversee a crew of craft workers
Superintendent Development Program: for foreman, project engineers, lead craft professionals, and assistant superintendents – two to four years of developing technical and leadership skills needed to run a project’s field operations – where the previous programs focused on developing craft employees, the next level of classes are open to experienced employees in both the field and office
Project Fast Start: for new or aspiring project managers, preconstruction specialists, and superintendents — three months training to develop technical and leadership skills needed to manage large projects
STEP FOUR: MERGE TRACKS TO GIVE ALL EMPLOYEES A PATH TO UPPER MANAGEMENT
Before assuming management at a higher level, it is crucial to arm managers with skills that, once combined with their experience, prepare them to oversee large groups of employees. We do these through three invitation-only programs:
The construction industry faces a significant challenge looking forward: a shortage of skilled labor. Since the beginning, Nabholz has worked to redefine what it means to be a construction company, and
As we celebrate 75 years at Nabholz, we’re grateful for the precedent set by our founder and innovative business leader, Bob Nabholz. He believed so strongly in the people who
