Turner's "Excellence" Awarded
Turner receives award for excellence in workforce development

Turner Industries received the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance (GBRIA) 2011 Contractor Craft Workforce Development Excellence Award. The award recognizes contractors who promote the best practices towards developing skills and retention of craft personnel, and devoting time and effort into quality workforce development including recruitment, assessment, training and career guidance.

Turner strives to keep its workforce well-educated while upholding a reputation as one of the most highly-skilled workforces in the industry. Last year, Turner hired 7,000 new employees, 3,200 of which were from the greater Baton Rouge area. To help reach this level, Turner takes advantage of the Work Opportunity and "New Hire" tax credits designed to put unemployed citizens back into the workforce. The Apprenticeship Training Tax credit enables these employees to receive National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certification.

Turner's NCCER accreditation affords the opportunity to offer on-site instruction, assessments, performance verifications, and national crane operator certification. With 7 master trainers on staff, 11 "in-house" assessment coordinators who can conduct NCCER assessments, a mobile NCCER assessment lab, numerous NCCER instructors and performance evaluators, and 25 Certified Practical Crane Examiners, Turner is highly qualified to meet NCCER's expectations throughout the country. There are currently over 750 front line supervisors who have been trained and "NCCER Certified" in a Turner-implemented program based on NCCER's Introductory Skills for the Crew Leader curriculum.

In addition to "in-house" training, Turner conducts customized craft training through Associated Builders and Contractors and Louisiana Technical College classes. Currently, 225 Turner employees in the Baton Rouge area are attending ABC craft training classes, with 66 recent graduates.

In 2010, Turner started its third Incumbent Worker Training grant. To date, more than 50 Non Destructive Exam (NDE) techs and Welding inspectors have been trained in various courses. In addition, over 100 of our employees have taken the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Hazwoper) training courses offered by the Baton Rouge Safety Council. Through Louisiana State University, 50 supervisors have taken through the Supervision and Managerial Effectiveness classes, and over 40 administrative staff employees have been trained through specially customized courses. In addition, Turner has offered Certified Occupational Safety Specialist classes to more than 30 local employees.

Turner Industries strives to develop and improve the skills of its craft personnel in order to provide our clients with the best service in the industry. Through this training, employees are given a clear and guided path that can lead to a successful career. The 2011 GBRIA award honors Turner's commitment to developing and continuously improving an industry-leading Workforce Development Program.