February 8, 2012

The construction sector made the grade recently with PCL winning the prestigious Canada’s Outstanding Employer Award from the Learning Partnership for a creative and innovative Take Our Kids to Work Day. Pictured in the PCL Training Centre here are (L-R) PCL Superintendent Paul Rodrigues, PCL Executive Vice-President Chris Gower, the Learning Partnership’s Maureen Deery, PCL Vice President and District Manager Bob Martz, and PCL Human Resources Manager Michelle Arthurs.

PCL program aims to nurture the future

TORONTO

At a time when jobs for young people are scarce, one of Canada’s largest builders is focused on nurturing the present and future workforce for an evolving industry.

“It’s iconic of something much bigger,” says PCL’s Chris Gower of winning the Learning Partnership’s Canada’s Outstanding Employer Award in the Take Our Kids to Work™ program. 

“PCL is growing beyond the market.  We’re doing cool things here.  Construction is becoming more creative, innovative, and high tech, and we need the people to fill these great jobs.”

Gower is PCL Toronto’s executive vice-president. Standing in the company’s dedicated training centre to accept the award, Gower talks about PCL’s tradition and leadership role in lifelong learning. 

“We don’t just Take Our Kids to Work for a day, we take them for a lifetime of learning, mentoring, and leading.”

PCL is more than a century old and employee owned. Everyone is an owner and a boss, and that has created a spirit of mentoring and motivation. 

“We have a powerful culture of mentoring and learning that results in our best practices and our employee satisfaction. Our people tend to stay here for a lifetime.  Part of that is because every single employee is invested in our clients’ success,” Gower said..

The grade nine students who spent the day at PCL got a fresh take on careers in construction.

While the award recognizes employers who demonstrated creativity and innovation in Take Our Kids to Work Day events, PCL took the opportunity to show students the creativity and innovation in the industry. 

Site tours and building competitions provided a glimpse into the changing world of construction.  There are still hard hats, hammers and nails, but there is also 4D virtual building design, modular construction, and forward thinking initiatives, like sustainability.

PCL also highlighted its co-op program, career paths, and education.

“Creative and high-tech innovations are changing construction and there are great jobs and opportunities for a lifetime.  It was exciting for the kids.  They saw firsthand that PCL is people – amazing people building fantastic projects.”

Approximately 200,000 kids annually take part in the Learning Partnership’s Take Our Kids to Work™ program, across Canada.  PCL was one of ten winners of the prestigious national award.

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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