Like many construction companies, Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. faces a workforce development challenge. With an aging workforce and a shortage of qualified workers, H&B finds hiring and retaining skilled labor challenging.

They have been fortunate to have a workforce that is primarily made up of loyal, long-term employees. Some are even going into the third generation of their family working at H&B. However, the company recognizes they need to find ways to attract and retain qualified workers to continue to grow their business.

Finding and developing new talent is a critical challenge many construction companies face, and Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors, Inc. is proactively working on addressing it. Besides the knowledge gap created by an aging workforce, H&B wants to ensure they keep their workers safe and their company compliant as new technologies and regulations are introduced.

Ideally, H&B was looking for a solution that would make it easier for their employees to get the training they needed without taking them away from work for long periods. As many of their employees wanted to pick up a new skill or learn more about different techniques and trades, they searched for a way to allow them to get the required training without disrupting workflow or putting projects behind schedule.

Most of the training construction workers receive is on-the-job training. They finish OSHA training, get their PPE, and are expected to gain the required skills by working with more experienced employees. While on-the-job training is still an essential part of the process, as the industry evolves and new technologies and regulations are introduced, there is a growing need for more formal training.

H&B searched for a flexible way to provide their employees with the formal training they needed while being cost-effective and time efficient. In addition to the on-the-job training, they wanted a solution that would allow their employees to learn, upskill, and cross-train at their own pace and in a format that would fit into their busy schedules.

Chris DiStefano first heard about the aQuiRe™ platform from the company’s founder, Carley Hill, at an Associated General Contractors (AGC) of New York event. Through Carley, Chris learned that the app helps keep construction businesses safe and compliant through its Standards Logging feature, and offers training modules on various topics ranging from OSHA compliance to fall protection. Modules are created as short videos and recorded by industry experts, with a quiz at the end to ensure understanding and compliance.

Once Chris realized the aQuiRe™’s potential for their business, he brought it to the attention of the company’s president, Mark Klingbeil.

Klingbeil has been a part of H&B since 1981, starting as a laborer right out of high school. He was impressed with the app and saw the value in using it as a tool to help preserve institutional knowledge within the company. He looked over the modules and quizzes and saw it as a great way to refresh knowledge and help educate and train new employees.

The results H&B achieved from using the aQuiRe™ app speak for themselves - their experience modification rating has decreased within a year. This is connected to the fact that safety is always top-of-mind for their employees, thanks to the culture that the aQuiRe™ platform has helped create and promote. H&B’s executive management team understands the safety of their employees is the most critical part of their business, and the app has helped to foster that culture throughout the company.

The gap between the generations in the workforce is slowly but surely closing, thanks partly to the aQuiRe™ platform. The app has helped train and educate H&B’s younger employees, giving them the skills they need to be well-rounded and productive team members.

The older employees at H&B have also benefited from the app, as it has given them a way to stay up-to-date on the latest safety procedures and protocols.

There are no more hours-long classes or lectures - with aQuiRe™, employees can learn at their own pace and in their own time. This has been a considerable benefit for H&B, as it has allowed them to tailor their training to the needs of each employee.

Get in touch, see aQuiRe™ in action, and let industry experts show you what makes it the construction industry’s best training and safety tool.