CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS


VR goggles being utilized as part of a Carpenters training session.


seamless switch to virtual learning in 2020. CITF opened five virtual labs at the outset of the pandemic that it used to conduct training for individuals in its “train the trainer” and other programs that together deliver over 300 different training classes each year. “We tried to make it


Technology in use at the Carpenters Training Center. Continued from page 13


a beat when California mandated the shutdown of all non-essential business early in the pandemic, temporarily halting in-person apprentice training in the middle of the spring semester. “We were already working towards


those platforms and had beta tested some of them on our inspection side of things,” he said. “COVID kind of stuck our feet in the fire. We worked for probably 120 hours straight to get it all up and running and to get approval from the state and others. We were able to convert everything over to electronic format and be back into classes within two weeks of the shutdown.” Te Carpenters International


Training Fund (CITF), which operates the massive International Training Center in Las Vegas, and regional centers including the Southwest Regional Carpenters San Diego Training Center also made a relatively


14 July/August 2021


as virtually similar as we could to all being in the same place,” said Royce


Peters, Executive Director of CITF. “In these virtual labs instructors would wear


“Technology is the future of the industry that makes our contractors more competitive. Our leadership philosophy is to work with our industry partners and make sure they are competitive and profitable so that our members get more work.” – Justin Weidner, Chief of Staff for UBC


a GoPro and had zoom cameras set up around their classrooms where they were teaching students.” Te Carpenters developed an online


COVID-19 safety awareness training unit right out of the gate, Royce noted, which represented a “great partnership between our union employers and the training fund.”


Technology a Cornerstone of Carpenters Training Facility


Troughout its sprawling 1 million-


sq.-ft. state-of-the-art Las Vegas facility, CITF’s emphasis on technology is readily apparent. Just one example is the virtual welding instruction area, where apprentices don an augmented reality (AR) equipped welding hood for a fully immersive experience. Tey train in this virtual environment all the way up to certification, at which point they demonstrate what they have learned by welding on actual metal. “It saves a lot of money and wasted


material,” commented Justin Weidner, Chief of Staff for UBC. “Te instructors on those machines say it’s pretty common for people to back their feet up as they are doing it so the “sparks” don’t fall on their shoes.” In recent years CITF also developed


a host of cloud-based digital solutions. Tese include a continually updated online Learning Management System; an online portal for it Career Connection program linked to vocational training programs at nearly


California Constructor


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