Training New Craft Workers Is Tough Job for Industry Veteran

Becon's Tim Horst is seen as anchor for successful Gulf Coast program

Tim Horst’s former job managing recruitment and training for Bechtel Group Inc.’s global projects may have been a breeze compared to his current mission sending 20,000 prospective craft workers through a construction “boot camp” by 2010 to rebuild the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast and fill workforce gaps as owners plan numerous megaprojects in the region. But Horst is rising to his new task, with 75% of the recruits now graduated and on their way to union and nonunion apprenticeships.

Multimedia  View Award of Excellence Luncheon and Acceptance Speech of Tim Horst   April 3, 2008

Horst, now president of Bechtel’s open shop arm, Becon Construction Co., Houston, now splits his time with his new job as executive director of the Get Rewarded for Education and Advancement Training effort, dubbed “I’m GREAT.” The program was launched in 2006 with $1.5 million from The Business Roundtable and Bechtel CEO Riley Bechtel as co-sponsor. It is now one of its largest worker recruitment and training programs. Nearly 16,000 men and women have been through the four-week preapprenticeship in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas . “Now, a person with GREAT training can walk into a training center at any company, union or open shop, with credentials they will accept,” says Horst.

The GREAT model also is unique as a public-private partnership, engaging local governments, colleges, firms and others. But Horst admits he has his hands full balancing stakeholder interests. “The difficulty has been in maintaining a common vision,” he says. Owners applaud his efforts. “Unfortunately, it took a Katrina-type event to move the industry to action,” says Greg Sizemore, executive vice president of the Construction Users Round Table, Cincinnati.