“Mentoring the Next Generation of Building Professionals” Is the Theme of Building Safety Month Week One

ICC Aims to Meet the Need for Trained Building Professionals with Nationwide Events and Innovative Programs

Skilled building professionals have helped keep communities safe for decades, through their constant vigilance in making sure construction adheres to the minimum safety procedures, as well as helping to craft and refine those procedures.

But the construction industry is experiencing a mass retirement of skilled professionals; one study indicates that over the next 12 years, the industry will experience a loss of 80 percent of the existing skilled workforce.

Employers are seeking qualified building trade professionals to fill the positions of retiring employees and will be vying to hire the leading men and women to reinforce their decreasing workforce. Trained professionals are needed in the building industry to prevent a major job shortage in the workforce.

“Retirements will affect building officials, fire code officials, plans examiners, permit technicians and administrative staff reviewing special inspection reports,” said International Code Council (ICC) Board of Directors President M. Dwayne Garriss, Georgia State Fire Marshal. “Engineers and architects, as well — all these noble professions, which many people may not be aware of — are all necessary to maintain our high standards for building safety.”

Working towards this goal of preserving the industry’s workforce, the International Code Council is devoting its first week of Building Safety Month (BSM) – May 1-7, 2017 – to the theme: “Mentoring the Next Generation of Building Professionals.”

In addition to learning about construction, engineering and architecture, the future workforce needs to become knowledgeable about the building codes to ensure the very best, most-resilient buildings. The Code Council and industry partners are providing training and mentoring on the latest design, technology and innovations in the codes through high schools, colleges and career training programs.

One way the Code Council is doing this is through its High School Technical Training Program (HSTTP), created to provide schools with a framework to help students understand how codes and regulations are used in the design and construction of residential, commercial, federal and military facilities.

Schools participating in the HSTTP provide students with up-to-date code knowledge and technical code training that fits hand-in-hand with practical training leading to a skilled workforce.

In addition to the HSTTP, ICC provides an array of resources and information on the theme of Mentoring the Next Generation of Building Professionals. Since 1980, Building Safety Month has been an annual public safety awareness campaign to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures. Jurisdictions nationwide plan BSM events. Here are just a few:

• Celebrating the start of Building Safety Month in our nation’s capital, the Code Council, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes and the American Society of Interior Designers will host the official Kickoff Event and Recognition Ceremony on May 1. The Leadership Roundtable on Resilience on May 2 will bring together a small group of industry thought leaders to participate in a panel focused on making resilience more transparent to consumers. And the annual Building Safety Month Rooftop Reception, hosted by ICC and sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, will be held May 10. All three events will be held at ICC’s Washington, D.C., Governmental Affairs Office.
• The Town of North Salem in New York will host a Building Safety Month Live Event on May 6 that will feature guest speakers from ICC, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Institute of Architects and the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority presenting on topics such as cdpACCESS, the next generation of code officials, emergency preparedness for farms and propane safety. The Alexandria Department of Code Administration is hosting a Kick-Off Event on May 5 in the City Square. Participants include many organizations representing police, fire and the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association. The City mayor and other dignitaries will join the public in the festivities.
• The Code Council will present a Building Safety Month Kickoff Event with the Birmingham Barons on May 6 in Birmingham, Ala. Several industry leaders and professional associations will be on hand to help educate the public on what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures during this one-of-a-kind experience for the entire family.
• Educational displays, demonstrations and career fairs will take place throughout California, including the Central Coast Chapter of ICC Educational Presentation on May 4 in San Luis Obispo, the Young Adults Building Safety Careers Program on May 10 in San Jose, the San Diego Department of Development Services Building Safety Month Day on May 17, and the Building & Safety Career Fair on May 24 in Glendale.
• The Code Council is holding an ICC Training & Member Forum Roadshow May 1 for ICC Members addressing popular topics of interest to California building and code professionals. This forum is the first in a series of engaging ICC Training & Member Forums designed exclusively for our Members.

From coast to coast, Building Safety Month will offer something for everyone!