“I want to change the construction industry brand,” says Kristen Powell, President & CEO of ABC Carolinas. “I want people to know that it’s a viable, successful career, and not just a plan B; that construction has an opportunity for everyone to succeed.”
Powell’s ambition for the construction industry is amplified by the numerous training programs she’s spearheaded for the chapter, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Founded in 1998, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Carolinas is a regional chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a national trade association founded in 1950 in Baltimore, MD, that represents the construction industry. ABC Carolinas serves contractors in North and South Carolina, focusing on promoting and supporting the construction sector within those states.
ABC Carolinas currently has approximately 500 members across the states of North Carolina and South Carolina, with the majority working and residing in Charlotte and Raleigh. The chapter also has seven council areas. This includes three in South Carolina (the Low Country, Midlands, and Upstate). In North Carolina, this includes Charlotte, Triangle (Raleigh/Durham area), Triad (Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem) and Coastal (Wilmington).
ABC Carolinas has two types of fee-based memberships, one for contractors and one for associates and suppliers, which include intangible services like banks, accounting, or insurance, for example, as well as tangible supplies like tool companies or lease labor companies. Becoming a member with ABC Carolinas provides ample benefits to those in the construction industry, including access to a large network of industry professionals, contractors, suppliers, and vendors, advocacy and lobbying, cutting-edge industry resources and impressive discounts and cost savings.
Once accepted into the membership program, ABC Carolinas offers a new member orientation program. “We want to get you engaged, to ensure new members know how to take the next steps to get the most of their memberships,” Powell said. “We’re one of the very few chapters that is a two-state chapter, which is a huge benefit for our members,” Powell added, noting that despite the large geographical area, perks include paying one membership dues for two states, while enjoying upwards of 75 company-wide events per year, like full-day training workshops and young professionals networking functions. “Most people join ABC Carolinas to take advantage of those networking opportunities, but we’re also investing in our workforce development programs and initiatives,” Powell said.
One example is their Apprenticeship program, a four year NCCER based curriculum, that allows apprentices to obtain their journeyman’s license upon completion.
“Right now it’s just electrical, but we’re hoping that in the next two years, we can incorporate new trades into the program,” Powell said. Working directly with member companies, ABC Carolinas welcomes employees into a four-year program with the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER). “The Carolinas Electrical Contractors Association (CECA) had a need for training and apprenticeship,” Powell said. “They helped to bring the Carolinas charter here back in 1998 and they really relied on us to get that up and running,” she added, noting that this need was one of the key objectives for founding the Carolinas chapter. “We’re working with a lot of additional trades companies to get one or two more trades available,” Powell added.
Recently, the State of North Carolina awarded ABC Carolinas one million dollars for workforce development initiatives. Powell and her team created the ABC Carolinas Foundation to launch a prep academy, which mimics AP-level coursework for those applying to colleges after high school. “They’re getting college credit while they’re in high school, and we want to do the same thing for people who are interested in going into trades, so we’re creating a program with a few local high schools,” Powell said.
The program follows a dual-enrolment model, with students taking their standard coursework in the morning at their respective academic institutions, followed by a hands-on learning approach at the ABC Carolinas facility. “When they graduate from high school, we’re connecting them with our members, which is a win-win for everybody,” Powell said. “Our members need those skilled labourers, and we can be that bridge connecting them with students. For the students, they are essentially guaranteed a placement right out of high school with a member company, while getting their school paid for.”
“Our members need those skilled labourers, and we can be that bridge connecting them with students. For the students, they are essentially guaranteed a placement right out of high school with a member company, while getting their school paid for.”
With no graduated debt and immediate employment, Powell says the program is attracting a high volume of applicants, with 150 apprentices currently enrolled in the apprenticeship program. “You’re making money as soon as you graduate high school and then you’re on a track to success, with tiered options with room for growth throughout your career,” Powell said. “Introducing the trades as an option, and getting people involved at an earlier age and showing them those opportunities…shows that construction is a valid and viable career.”
The Student Hands-on Experience Day (SHED) competition, hosted by ABC Carolinas, is another opportunity for highschoolers to make their entrance into the construction industry.
The annual event encourages students to design and build a small, functional structure—a shed—that can serve various purposes. This competition focuses on giving students and young professionals in the construction industry an opportunity to showcase their skills in design, construction, teamwork, and problem-solving. “We have a team of high school students and a group of sub-contractors that are working together for months at a time,” Powell explained. “On competition day, our contractors cannot touch the projects; they’re there to mentor and assist from the sidelines, but by the time it’s over, the contractors are saying ‘I can’t wait to hire this person as an intern or apprentice.’” In addition to this, the Association is in the process of developing a summer camp aimed at 9th grade students. The camp will teach the Core curriculum, giving students an insight into all the different facets of careers in construction.
The STEP Program (Safety Training and Evaluation Process) offered by ABC Carolinas is an industry-recognized program designed to help construction companies improve their safety performance and reduce workplace incidents. It focuses on providing companies with the tools, training, and resources they need to create and maintain safer work environments.
By focusing on safety improvement, companies that participate in the STEP Program typically experience fewer workplace accidents, which in turn leads to reduced medical costs, lower insurance premiums, and fewer lost workdays.
A self-evaluation tool, most recently the STEP Program was modified to include components for personal overall health and safety.
“It really provides contractors and suppliers with a robust framework of how they can benchmark those safety goals and where they want to be,” Powell said. “In the last couple of years, we’ve opened the program to anybody, and it looks at total human health,” she added, noting that the program now encompasses financial safety and security, mental, and spiritual health.
Another initiative ABC Carolinas is partnering with is called VitalCog, which advocates for transparency of mental health supports in the workplace through a variety of resources and free training, including on suicide-awareness. “The approach is two-fold,” Powell said. ‘We want to start the conversation about suicide, because construction is the number one industry for suicide rates, largely because it’s male-dominated,” she explained. “It’s really helping people to be aware of some of the signs and helping to guide the conversation and sending them to the additional resources we have available.”
With ABC National’s 75th anniversary commencing this year, Powell and her team are committed to fostering an environment that encourages personal and professional development via a variety of new projects and training programs, while continuing on a trajectory that promotes safety and excellence in the construction industry.
