Going to the Head of the Class

SBCA’s new focus on education will greatly benefit its members

SBCA has a long tradition of providing industry-specific education to component manufacturers (CMs), starting with live Truss Technician Training (TTT) classes in the late 1990s. That quickly led to the development of a robust online training library in the early 2000s that has remained largely untouched since the housing downturn and Great Recession. 

Today, SBCA’s strategic plan places a strong emphasis on the creation of a new education-based online knowledge center for CMs and others in this industry. The SBCA Board of Directors has taken significant steps in recent months towards this goal, which are important to summarize.

Existing Knowledge Base

The TTT live course was originally developed with the help of CMs engaged in the association with the goal of educating truss technicians with minimal experience in the industry. Truss design software was not as robust in the 90s as it is today, and there was a strong desire to give technicians a basic understanding of the truss design process. The live TTT class originally debuted at BCMC 1997, but quickly became so popular that SBCA developed an online course containing the core material that allowed an unlimited number of technicians to conveniently view from their own computer.

The great success of TTT online prompted members to look at other topics unique to the component manufacturing industry that could be addressed through educational content offered through the internet. In 2002, SBCA created Truss Knowledge Online (TKO), the first learning management system (LMS) exclusive to the component manufacturing industry. In addition to TTT, the early TKO included Truss Manufacturing Orientation (TMO), Operation Safety, and the Technical Assessment Test Online (TATO).

The list of courses quickly expanded to include training programs for forklift safety, housekeeping, truck driver orientation, basic production, risk management, advanced technician training, and crane operation.

Live Education at BCMC

As the training content available through TKO reached its pinnacle, a significant emphasis was put on the development of live education at BCMC that was generated and led by CMs. Starting with BCMC 2012 in New Orleans, the BCMC Committee made live education a key element of the value proposition of attending the annual trade show. Over time, more and more live education was added to the BCMC lineup. Consequently, the BCMC Committee created a subcommittee specifically for education content creation and added two education co-chairs to the committee structure.

Emerging Leaders Embrace Education

In 2021, the two education co-chairs were members of the SBCA’s Emerging Leaders (EL) initiative. It was suggested that this group of CMs and suppliers could bring additional perspective and energy to live education at both SBCA’s BCMC and Open Quarterly Meetings (OQMs). As attendance at OQMs grew steadily after the COVID-19 pandemic, the desire to add more educational content at OQMs increased.

In addition to presentations, the EL Education & Leadership subcommittee generated an ongoing list of topics for roundtable discussions. Based on the successful Industry Roundtables that occurred at BCMC each year, similar versions were hosted at several OQMs during 2022 and 2023. The same EL committee took on the traditional work of the BCMC education subcommittee and brainstormed the educational line-up for BCMC 2023. Members of that committee also worked alongside staff to identify and attract presenters and evaluate presentation content.

Creation of the Education Committee

The hard work and dedication of those EL members paid off at BCMC 2023. The education presentations received very high marks from attendee evaluations. The value of the OQMs increased as well, as educational presentations and roundtable discussions brought the free flow of ideas and solutions throughout each day of each event.

The success of the EL subcommittee, in conjunction with the focus of the association’s strategic plan on developing a robust online knowledge center, prompted the Board of Directors to approve the formation of a new standing committee devoted exclusively to education development. The Education Committee’s first chair is Tony Acampa of Shelter Systems Limited, who stresses, “We are a small group of CMs who are laser-focused on the educational needs of our industry and are dedicated to creating a comprehensive and strategic approach to putting out valuable education to every one of our members.”

While Tony reiterates that SBCA has always emphasized education and been very intent on its development, having a focused group (and the committed resources of the association behind it) will lead to valuable and timely content for the industry to consume. “Initially, our primary goal is to listen to the membership and hear what their training needs and concerns are,” says Tony. “We are actively reaching out to SBCA Chapters, individual members, and suppliers, to identify what tools, and which topics, are needed right now to help improve our industry’s workforce and prepare for future growth.”

The committee is currently broken up into three subcommittees. The first is BCMC/OQM Education, which focuses on live educational development for national SBCA events. The second is Local Chapter Education, which is looking at the educational needs of chapters, as well as content development for potential webinars and virtual roundtables. The third is SBCA Academy, which is developing the new LMS for the industry.

“The educational training content of our new LMS is going to be transformative to individual companies in our industry,” Tony continues. “When you hire someone new, it can be a challenge to efficiently get them up to speed and understand our industry. SBCA’s LMS will be a powerful tool in the hands of our CMs as they strive to do that.”

Tony acknowledges that while many of the training programs SBCA created almost 20 years ago have not kept up with advancements in online education, much of their content is still valuable and pertinent. “The challenge in front of us is delivering that content in a format that matches how other education is presented today,” Tony concludes.

Hiring a Director of Education

To spearhead that effort, the SBCA Board of Directors also approved the hiring of a Director of Education, an entirely new staff position. “It’s very exciting,” says Tony. “In hiring this position, SBCA makes clear its commitment to providing high quality and timely education to its members. Having an experienced, skilled, and dedicated person will ensure that our committee’s work moves forward to fruition in a timely manner.”

To reiterate, the Education Committee is focused on listening and responding to the needs of the membership. If you have a need for training in a particular area, or have an idea, approach, or best practice 
you think could be a valuable addition to an industry-specific training program, please reach out to 
SBCA’s new Director of Education, Ashley Baker, at 608-389-7112.