Professional Development & Training Classes

Retirement Planning for 18-45 Year Olds

Get ahead of the game with smart retirement planning strategies that you can start today. A Macatawa Bank representative will cover retirement goals, investment options and market trends.

Click here to register for Retirement Planning on May 7th, from 4pm-5pm.

Retirement Planning for the 50+ Crowd

When you imagine your retirement, what do you see? Are you prepared? Does the thought of retirement worry you? How can you live the life you want? How can you preserve your wealth for future generations?

Learn how to maximize your savings and plan for retirement on a shorter time horizon. Representatives from Macatawa Bank will discuss strategies for those with established retirement plans and catch-up strategies for those who want to make the most of the their ability to save right now.

Personal Financial Literacy

Being fiscally fit means developing a set of behaviors to lead you to financial independence. This workshop will address the financial challenges we all face, how to gain control of your finances, how to increase cash flow, how to build an emergency fund and how to plan for tomorrow. By attending this workshop, you will gain confidence to win with money. You can eliminate debt, put money to work for you, and accumulate wealth that serves you and your family. All Kent Companies employees and spouses/significant others are invited to attend this event.

Tuesday, May 7th 4pm-5:30pm
Click here to register

Who should attend:
All field personnel are welcome & encouraged to enroll in craft training.
Important Reminders for ALL Craft Training Sessions:

• You must inform your superintendent of your plans to attend each course so they can plan manpower accordingly.
• Courses often include 2-4 workshop sessions. By enrolling in the course once, you will be enrolled in all sessions.
• If you register for a class, you are expected to attend and participate. A lack of either may result in dismissal from the class.
• Each class is limited to 20-25 participants.

Blue Print Reading – Part 2 – Diving into the Drawings

Blue Print Reading Part 2 builds upon the knowledge foundation from the first class session. Attendees will review three different types of building designs and learn how to logically work through a set of drawings.

Course Instructor: Dave Schoonbeck, COO

Click here to register for Blue Print Reading Part 2, on Monday, March 15th, 2019 from 2pm – 5pm

Rebar Class

A successful rodbuster can read and interpret written plans, arrange for proper materials, and apply strict attention to detail when manipulating rebar into the desired form. This session is designed to provide practical, ground-level knowledge to understand rebar plans, rebar tools and efficient placement.

By registering for this topic, you are registering for two sessions. Mark your calendar for BOTH sessions. Each session builds upon what you learned in the previous session.

1. Introduction to rebar and Installation Techniques Rebar 1– February 27, 2pm to 5pm (at Byron Commerce)
2. Advanced rebar installation and Troubleshooting Techniques Rebar 2– March 6, 2pm to 5pm (at Byron Commerce)

Post-Tension Class

Post-tension materials add strength to elevated structural concrete and slab on grade. This course will provide practical, hands-on instruction for unbonded PT installation, multi-strand PT installation, slab-on-grade PT installation and stressing.

By registering for this topic, you are registering for two sessions. Mark your calendar for BOTH sessions. Each session builds upon what you learned in the previous session.

1. Introduction to Post Tension and Installation Post Tension 1 – March 13, 2pm to 5pm (at Byron Commerce)
2. Advanced Post Tension Installation and Troubleshooting Techniques Post Tension 2 – March 20, 2pm to 5pm (at Byron Commerce)

Concrete Foundations

The Concrete Foundations session includes classroom and hands-on instruction for concrete footings and walls. This session is designed to provide practical, ground-level knowledge to understand the written plans and to form and pour the footing and wall elements safely.

By registering for this topic, you are registering for four individual sessions. Mark your calendar for ALL of these sessions. Each session builds upon what you learned in the previous session.

1. Footings – Classroom, April 10, 2pm to 5pm
2. Footings – Hands On, April 17, 2pm to 5pm
3. Walls – Classroom, April 24, 2pm to 5pm
4. Walls – Hands On, May 1, 2pm to 5pm

Concrete Flatwork & Paving

The Flatwork and Paving course provides practical, hands-on knowledge to improve the quality and productivity for crews working on ground-level applications. This course will cover subgrade conditions, forming, rebar installation, concrete placement, concrete finishing, cutting, curing and clean up. Attendees will understand the safety, environmental and materials factors that affect concrete flatwork.

By registering for this topic, you are registering for three individual sessions. Mark your calendar for ALL sessions. Each session builds upon what you learned in the previous session.

1. Flatwork/Paving – Classroom, May 8, 2pm to 5pm
2. Flatwork/Paving – Classroom and Hands On, May 15, 2pm to 5pm
3. Flatwork/Paving – Hands On, May 22, 2pm to 5pm

Shoring & Vertical Formwork

Prerequisite:

Students should take the Blue Print Reading Class and the Rebar/Post-Tension Class (or have very strong working knowledge of these topics) prior to enrolling in the Shoring & Formwork session.

In this course, attendees will learn about the basic types of shoring (Loose, 10K, Modular – Doka) and how to select the best system for each application. Learn the overall process for the design and set up of deck systems and how to manage embed placement, post-tension placement, edge conditions and a variety of environmental factors. Guest instructors will provide instruction and best practices on the vertical formwork systems most commonly found on Kent Companies job sites.

By registering for this topic, you are registering for four individual sessions. Mark your calendar for ALL sessions. Each session builds upon what you learned in the previous session.

1. Shoring: 10k – Classroom and Hands On, May 29, 1pm to 5pm
2. Shoring: Loose – Classroom and Hands On, June 5, 1pm to 5pm
3. Shoring: Doka – Classroom and Hands On, June 12, 1pm to 5pm (guest speaker – Jason Barber from Doka)
4. Vertical Formwork – Classroom and Hands On, June 19, 1pm to 5pm

Our professional development classes are designed to give you the leadership and communication skills you need to perform at your best.  We selected these courses because you told us these topics are important to you.

Who Should Attend:

• Superintendents
• Foremen
• Right Hand Men
• Project Managers/Estimators
• Business Staff

Each workshop is a stand-alone 60-minute session. Sessions begin promptly. If you register for a course, you are expected to attend. Each class is limited to 20 participants.

Employment Law for Supervisors

Learn what you should and shouldn’t do as a manager. This training covers a number of key federal employment laws that have a direct impact on a supervisor’s responsibilities. It is important to understand the basic requirements of these laws so you can interact properly with employees and know when to refer employees to Human Resources.

New Supervisor’s Guide to Effective Supervision

Learn more about a supervisor’s role in building teams. This training is good for those recently promoted to supervisor. It covers how to meet the responsibilities of the supervisor role – things like leadership, delegation, training, teamwork, communication, and more. This training gives a broad overview of each area in the training.

Supervisor’s Role in Motivating Employees

Attendees will discuss the nature of motivation and explore different motivation techniques. We will also discuss specific ideas that apply to the construction industry and how to customize motivation based on different personalities.

Coaching for Superior Employee Performance

Coaching in the workplace has an important role in the success of the team. We will discuss effective techniques to coach employees to improve performance and to help employees grow and develop.

Employment Law for Supervisors

Click here to register – April 12, 6am at 84th Street Pub & Grille

New Supervisors Guide to Effective Supervision

Click here to register – April 18, 6am at 84th Street Pub & Grille

Supervisors Role in Motivating Employees

Multiple Dates Offered:

Coaching for Superior Employee Performance

Multiple Dates Offered: