The latest episode of RVN Television's Morning Coffee Expert Series features expert guest Nicholas Soto, vice president of professional development at the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), speaking with Dr. Roy Swift, executive director of Workcred. Soto and Swift examine some stigmas surrounding the construction industry and explore how credentials can help professionals move up the ranks in the business.
CMAA, a nonprofit formed in 1982 to establish standards for managing construction projects, offers credentialing resources to support certified construction managers; for those just launching their careers, CMAA also has a construction manager-in-training program, among other offerings.
Soto noted that CMAA offers a pathway through credentialing, explaining that credentials leverage all types of candidates and give them a chance to become a professional construction manager, even though the construction profession may be misunderstood.
“Most of the time [when] people think of construction, they're thinking these are people who are out there with a shovel and digging in the dirt. But there's also a professional side to this, and that's what the construction managers do. So, [credentials are] an opportunity to take somebody who may have been in the field and working in the trades to move up through the professional route in construction industry,” said Soto.
He noted that many construction managers have the opportunity to oversee major infrastructure projects across the country, from bridge and hospital projects to the construction of major venues, such as the Sea Aquarium in Miami and the Las Vegas Stadium for the Raiders.
“There is a great deal of stacking of credentials in the construction industry that allows people to have upward mobility and build those bigger salaries,” said Swift. “But it also allows people who may not have as many skills as needed to enter into the industry, [and pursue] that upward mobility.”
To learn more, watch the latest episode, Workcred Expert Series: Pathways to Construction Management, and check out other recent videos on Workcred.org.