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Nick Largura says there’s no time like the present to invest in the future of the skilled workforce. As CEO of a fourth-generation family business, he is leading his company to the next step of building excitement about careers in construction.
Superior Construction is building space for its future workforce with plans to break ground on an in-house facility at its Jacksonville, Fla., headquarters later this year, according to an announcement shared with Construction Dive.
The two-story, 13,000-square-foot training center will include classroom and office space, heavy equipment simulators and a gym.
Here, Largura talks to Construction Dive about the timing of the installation, the mission of the training, and the value of a mentorship chain.
Editor’s Note: The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Immersion in CONSTRUCTION: How did the plans for this training facility come about?
NICK LENGTH: I don’t think there’s ever a perfect time for an investment like this, but nevertheless, it was one that had been building up over the last five or seven years. It is based on the need to train people for an aging generation. Most of our craftsmen are over 40 years old. The number of employees entering at a younger age is worrying.
This resulted in a leadership development program, which is based both in the field and in the office, creating mentors. It is similar to a union apprenticeship program.
But what we are even more proud of is our field and our artisanal employees. We give them real hands-on experience with what they would experience in the field before they go out. We believe that the exhibition will be able to generate some excitement for a new group of people.
Why was it important to focus on entry-level training and development?
We have had great interest in capturing younger school leavers who may be looking for summer opportunities and want skilled experience. We have a lot of competition for labor, especially in the Florida market. And if you take the traditional path of entering the trades, you only have so much upward mobility annually, which limits your ability to get to a truly comfortable place financially in life.
Nick Length
Authorization granted by Superior Construction
So a big goal for us is to try to give some of these employees a boost, which can make them more qualified. Therefore, they can earn more. We see that this will be an accelerator for people to level up faster in different positions, as well as filling the pipe behind them.
Do you think the younger people now joining construction are aware of the trades career option?
This is a big part of this initiative. When we built our current building about 25 years ago, we wanted to make a space that could give people a different perspective on the industry.
I think that by combining some of the new technology, we can present construction as something that is not outside the technological realm. The industry still needs to use more technology. Much of this will fall to younger people who have this passion for implementing new technologies.
I’d say it’s not the typical first path. What we want to do is raise more awareness of the opportunities out there because it’s an uphill battle.
Can you describe more how this new facility will be used for training?
I would break it down into three different categories.
We just welcomed our first group of high school students and they are actually working on some modular buildings that we have temporarily on our premises to accommodate them.
The second class are field workers who do not have any specialized trades in their curriculum, in whom we see potential. And it’s a way of saying, “Okay, how do we provide them with that upward mobility?” And we’re not just talking about physically building things. We are talking about courses in leadership, ethics, communication. Essential skills.
The third would be more office training. I can be a critic of it, but it’s the way the world has evolved: there are more conversations through screens. And while I think it can be very effective, there’s great value in bringing people together and having that collective energy, seeing who your peers are, and being able to exchange “war stories,” for lack of a better term. Therefore, this third group is an existing employee base that we want to continue to drive continuous learning. This facility will be great for that.
You talked about the mentor/student relationship as part of this new initiative. Why is it important to you?
This is my family business. I had several family members who were role models for me. I think it’s really important for anyone coming into this industry not to feel overwhelmed by their lack of knowledge at first, but to have someone they can grow with.
As we see it, every good mentor was at one point. They had someone they loved and aspired to give them direction. And that’s what we were saying about the family element. If you had someone who mentored you, it is your responsibility to mentor someone else.
