AGC of California Partial Training Schedule (with Troy DeGroot)


Bluebeam Baseline Series July 11-18, 2024 October 17-24, 2024


role within the company. Around 2009 he successfully transitioned about 70 employees across seven offices into the 3D design environment. DeGroot said his own training in


BIM, Bluebeam and other platforms was largely self-taught or by engaging with the one or two-day trainings offered by resellers selling the various software. “A lot of it was just research and being self-taught, and applying it to what I did,” he said. After about two decades with the


engineering firm, DeGroot moved on to work for several different software resellers. He became a Bluebeam certi- fied consultant and Bluebeam certified instructor in 2015. Learning how to maximize the tools


in Bluebeam and use the software most effectively brought to light what he saw as a deficit of learning resources that addressed specific industry applications, DeGroot said. “Initially I was very frustrated with the learning resources that were out there. On YouTube there were a million videos for each tool, but nobody with industry knowledge was stringing together multiple tools to get to a goal,” he noted. “I knew the industry, and I knew what some of those end goals were, so after I learned each individual tool, I started doing blog posts and videos on them.” His former blog and YouTube channel,


which he named “Bluebeam and Burgers,” increasingly attracted followers and even- tually “grew into a business” about four years ago when he took the leap to form UChapter2. “Through my training and mentoring I hope that, through me, my clients and students get to a next chapter,” he explained about the company name. In addition to the time he spends training others, his company also helps a wide array of AEC companies implement software to improve their internal workflows. Today he continues to build and


maintain an active online following. He remains dedicated to helping users and companies get the most out of Bluebeam Revu by providing blog and video content as well as by leading a thriving group forum called the Bluebeam Brainery, found at https://uchapter2.com/. “It’s a really fun kind of environment


made up of a community of users from all around that world who ask and answer questions and collaborate to share tips and tricks, all kinds of other cool stuff,” DeGroot noted. He spends extensive time each week leading online trainings, and estimates he has likely trained about 7,500 individuals in the Bluebeam platform including at least 3,500 people last year alone. So what does he find most rewarding


about teaching and training others? De- Groot said for him it is helping people


Bluebeam Revu for Administrative Professionals July 23, 2024 October 9, 2024


Construction Estimating Principles and Application October 9, 2024


AGC of California members receive discounted prices on our construction trainings. Check out upcoming Bluebeam courses, as well as over 300+ live and on-demand trainings, at www.agc-ca. org/training-education/.


become comfortable using software they may have had for a while, but may not have understood how to use well enough to fully leverage the benefits. “A lot of people already own the soft-


ware; they just don’t know what it does or its full capabilities,” he commented. “See- ing their eyes open and get more excited to do their jobs using tools that make it easier or faster or whatever, that is rewarding. I pray for each class I’m a blessing to each student and the companies they work for. Tat’s kind of what drives me.”


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JULY/AUGUST 2024


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