14 Week Program Will Identify Untapped Talent to Learn Applicable Skills in a High-Demand Growing Career Field
Louisville, KY — Evon Smith, President and CEO at OneWest, announced today that a new Business Information Modeling (BIM) training program will be added to The Plan Room, a business accelerator launched earlier this year designed to support Black and brown business owners in the construction industry. BIM is how modern constructions projects get done. BIM professionals use intelligent software to create 3D construction documents that communicate how to build a building. Architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals can more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure because of these documents. Most anyone with an interest in design and a basic understanding of computers, and a curious disposition can learn this software and become a key part of the construction process. This highly interactive program provides 14 weeks of instruction to scale up those talented candidates into more meaningful, higher paying careers. Applications are now being accepted for the first training session beginning in July, with a prerequisite technology training course starting in May. Visit theplanroom.org to learn more and apply.
“This is what real community development looks like,” explains OneWest President and CEO Evon Smith. “The launch of The Plan Room earlier this year has been an incredible step forward for racial minority business owners in the construction industry. The addition of the BIM Training Program provides access to practical skills for just about anyone — not just those in the construction industry — to succeed in a new higher-paying career in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. And this is only the beginning for OneWest and our incredible partners!”
Just like The Plan Room, the BIM Training program was built in collaboration with key community partners who are committed to creating more equity and diversity in the construction and technology fields.
Greg Buccola and the KPFF Consulting Engineers office in Louisville have been leading the charge for this training program. “There is a huge need for these professionals in our industry,” says Buccola, “and we have been outsourcing this work to other countries. We can teach a high school graduate how to use the BIM software in far less time than a 2 or 4-year degree program. So why not create our own ecosystem of BIM personnel and help lift up our community with higher paying jobs?”
Although KPFF has the ability to teach BIM to willing candidates, it did not have the correct infrastructure to administer and implement an effective training program. KPFF found this solution to this problem in existing working relationships. Interapt Foundation (IF), a new non-profit organization formed by software development company Interapt, exists to identify untapped talent and give them the education needed to fill the talent gap that many organizations experience. IF will provide the training program structure for the BIM curriculum. “For the last 4 years, part of Interapt’s model has been to provide software development immersive training programs all around the country,” explains IF Executive Director Marnix Warren. What we realized is that these training programs can be applied to a wide array of skills, not just software development. Ultimately we wanted to create a non-profit entity to help educate untapped talent in the workforce so they might choose a better career path and build more wealth.”
Vital to the success of the BIM training program is access to the 3D modeling software and the materials to teach and certify candidates in the modeling process. Eagle Point Software has generously stepped up to donate the platform needed to learn BIM via the company’s Pinnacle Series e-learning system. The system includes a comprehensive, expert-developed content catalog of training videos, documents, learning paths, and other resources that BIM Training candidates can view in between in-person learning sessions.
The Louisville Central Community Center (LCCC), will seek out qualified candidates for this program, and will administer a 4 week computer literacy course to lay the foundation for the 10-week BIM curriculum. LCCC President Kevin Fields explains, “Our goal is to advance equity and promote inclusion on behalf of marginalized groups, such as African Americans and women, who have been historically under-represented in AEC industries. I believe it to be vitally important that we grow knowledge and skills necessary to design and build communities with local talent of the black community.”
To learn more about BIM Training and The Plan Room, visit theplanroom.org.
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About The Plan Room
The Plan Room is a business accelerator focused on growth for minority-owned businesses in construction-related industries. This business center provides services ranging from procurement and bid opportunities, to technical assistance, to workshops and classes. The Plan Room is a hub where you can connect with minority-owned firms, mentors, and professional service providers who understand the construction industry.
About OneWest
OneWest is a community development nonprofit committed to elevating our entire city through commercial development growth in the West End of Louisville. These efforts are focused on generating sustainable economic development and neighborhood revitalization in west Louisville, in partnership with community residents. To achieve this, OneWest focuses on commercial/mixed use development, advocacy, capacity building, and community engagement.
About LCCC
Louisville Central Community Centers, Inc. (LCCC) is in its 73rd year of providing direct family services to over 5000 residents, annually, of the Russell and surrounding west Louisville neighborhoods. LCCC is a community-based, anchor institution that co-creates development of vibrant neighborhood conditions within which children, adults and businesses can thrive.
About KPFF
Part of a multi-office, multi-discipline engineering firm, KPFF Louisville builds relationships and community through engineering excellence. Committed to giving back and building a local talent pipeline, KPFF looks forward to working with other partners to make the Plan Room a lasting asset for West Louisville.
About Interapt Foundation
Interapt Foundation (IF) was developed to offer training scholarships to individuals entering, or hoping to enter, the technology industry. Based on the success Interapt has proven since 2015 training and placing people within the tech industry, IF offers a simple vehicle for Individuals, Philanthropic Organizations, and Corporate Sponsors to give the gift of knowledge.
About Pinnacle Series
Pinnacle Series creator Eagle Point Software has helped AEC companies work more efficiently since 1983. Based in Dubuque, Iowa, the Pinnacle Series team is comprised of engineers, architects, and construction technologists who deliver the leading AEC and manufacturing learning and productivity platform to 200,000+ global registered users. Pinnacle Series offers a robust library of on-demand software learning content created by industry professionals, plus knowledge capture and sharing capabilities that ultimately increase efficiency.
