The Connection
July 14, 2021
 
Association News
Annual Conference Sneak Peek: Stacey Hanke's Closing Keynote

NAWIC Town Hall: The State of Construction Panel


www.nawic.org/nawic/Calendar.asp

Annual Conference has gone cashless
We are not accepting cash at Annual Conference to make transactions easier and to help reduce the risk of COVID-19. We are accepting credit, debit, Cash App and Venmo.
 
Newest NAWIC Chapter to Charter in Hybrid Ceremony

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkdOGqrj0sEtEqdEt3M2lZMv5jS0W2rUzU 

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AON Construction Services Group®
As the leading provider of risk solutions to the construction industry. Aon Construction Services Group partners with our clients to provide insightful analysis, strategic direction and creative solutions backed by our dedicated team of construction experts and the strength of Aon's global network. 
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Caterpillar, Inc.
Columbia University, School of Professional Studies
DE&I presents: Best Practices for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion According to the Latest Research

Most companies are jumping on the D&I bandwagon and forging ahead with initiatives, hiring consultants, and implementing training and education around diversity and inclusion.  But how do they know what will work?  Many of these initiatives fail or are not as successful as they could be.  In fact, some of these initiatives backfire and make things worse. 

There has been quite a bit of rigorous research on D&I training.  In this session, attendees will learn what works and what doesn't according to the research. We will explore specific dos and don'ts with regard to D&I and offer specific case studies on what works and what doesn't. The research is summed up in an article by Dr. Jane Bozarth and used with permission. 

Education / Training
DE&I Committee: Body Art in Construction
  
Body art in construction- such as piercings, tattoos, branding, scarification, dermal anchors, ear stretching- does it matter if you’re in the field or office when it comes to being “dressed for the job”? 

Speaking from 20 plus years of experience in the construction industry, I would have to answer this question initially with a yes, however having tattoos or piercings myself has never once held me back in my career. Despite some of the employee handbooks and articles written about dress code in construction, I’d say that expressing oneself through body art has become more acceptable in our industry and is less likely to be seen as a display of incompetence.

I believe that the reason for this is our up and coming generation who have grown up celebrating our differences and learning how to embrace those various types of thinking and expression to yield a more cohesive product/service.  As the older generation adapts, I feel like many of these statistics, similar to those cited in the article below, will reverse making this narrow minded way of thinking extinct.


Rowena Dziubla, Owner at WODeration LLC
Photo Credit: Ashley Normore, Director of Construction at JP Gravel Construction 
NAWIC Benefits Spotlight
The Coaching Corner with Michael Riegel: What is Your Mindset?
My conversations with technical professionals often turn to the concept of mindset.  In many cases, the perspective they offer – and one that I held for a long time – was around wanting, no, needing to be right.  The data must be right.  The process must be right.  The solution must be right.   Being “right” is a very distinct mindset.  As you consider your current and future roles, career path, or the differences of opinion that may have gotten in the way of what you want to accomplish, mindset is a significant element even if you are not aware of its impact and power.  
 
The 1:1 Huddle: Jobsite Management
MindForge®
Join MindForge for a 30-minute Q&A session on Tuesday, February 6 from 4:30-5 PM ET. MindForge founder Stokes McIntyre will get the dirt from a special guest (to be announced) who serves as a jobsite manager. From dealing with the differences between a project plan and jobsite realities, to the toughest lessons learned, to how they manage their time each day—our guest will share their war stories and their victories.
Register Now
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Industry Update
SBA withdraws controversial PPP questionnaire
The Small Business Administration has withdrawn its requirement that Paycheck Protection Program borrowers of more than $2 million complete a loan necessity questionnaire. The SBA notified borrowers last week it would no longer request the questionnaire and that those previously requested are no longer required. The SBA also advised lenders to close open requests in the PPP computer platform and resubmit open loans.
5 strategies construction firms use to lower their taxes
From depreciation and carrying forward losses to research and development credits, public contractors rely on an array of tactics to help minimize tax bills.
Arcoro
WFB Inspection & Consulting CO
Senate bill would create apprenticeship college consortium
A bill proposed in the U.S. Senate May 27 would create an "apprenticeship college consortium" and oblige the secretary of labor and secretary of education to enter an interagency agreement to promote apprenticeship. The consortium would consist of postsecondary educational institutions, instruction providers, sponsors, intermediaries and employers. Participants would be required to have agreements on establishing credit transfers with apprenticeship program sponsors; awarding academic credit to apprentices; and supporting electronic transcripts for apprenticeship programs.