Qualico Construction Training Expands to Southern Alberta and Manitoba

Winnipeg, MB - Qualico’s Construction and Procedural Standards (CPS) training, first developed in Northern Alberta region, will graduate its first participants as the training expands to Southern Alberta and Manitoba.

The purpose of the training, which was first offered last year, is to meet customer expectations, provide the best customer experience, and mitigate warranty costs.

“The Construction and Procedural Standards training is an important resource used to achieve our goal of building the finest quality homes for our customers. It supports our dedicated construction teams in maintaining Qualico’s legacy of outstanding craftmanship, said Shane Erickson, Regional Vice-President, Northern Alberta, Qualico.

Construction teams in all three regions are now participating in the CPS training and reaping the benefits of the course, which has been tailored to suit the building requirements in each region. The training aims to focus on quality improvement and uses three pillars as key performance indicators toward success: employee engagement, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction.

The participants in each region complete student-facing and facilitated learning, with a mix of written, visual, and interactive content. The program also includes an online discussion forum that allows participants to collaborate and share their experiences. Course assessments are completed through quizzes, in-person field workshops, a journal entry, and a final exam.

The original training outline had eleven modules and we are closing in on some of our staff completing all the modules in the original outline. More modules are being developed based on requests from managers and participants. The CPS training is intended to be dynamic, and we will continually update and add material into the training as required.

There are currently more than 480 training units completed since 2020, or roughly 7000 training hours. One module or unit takes between 10 to 15 hours to complete without factoring for facilitation and field workshop.

Each module has its own specific badge awarded inside the Learning Management System (LMS). As participant’s complete modules they collect badges that show their progress. Participants who complete the eleven modules related to the field best practice will receive recognition from Qualico for their achievement.

The instructional mix in online and facilitated learning allows for demonstration and an evaluation through measured outcomes that lean toward behavioral and cultural change. Managers have numerous opportunities to measure practical application of the material in real-world settings. These training and educational tools are best measured by success in long-term changes and behavior.

Upon successful completion of the CPS training modules, participants will be able to:

1. Present themselves as good ambassadors of Qualico.
2. Adhere to and promote Qualico’s best practices ensuring quality through checklists and schedule efficiency.
3. Define standards, document, and communicate expectations of/to trades, co-workers, customers and local authorities having jurisdiction.
4. Coach co-workers and trade partners to meet Qualico’s standards and expectations.
5. Manage project schedules; identify inconsistencies in workmanship, costs, and timelines.
6. Implement improvements to construction practices based on new information of building codes, standards, and industry best practices.

Rob Milligan, Site Superintendent at Pacesetter Homes Edmonton, is the first participant in Qualico to complete the original 11 training modules that were developed. He started in the fall of 2019 and recently finished the existing program outline in June of 2022.

“The Qualico construction course is a helpful tool that will increase your construction knowledge for each stage of the build. It also emphasizes the importance of quality workmanship and timelines, as well as our standards and expectations of staff, clients, and trades,” he said.

Robert added that he found the onsite group discussions to be particularly beneficial.

Participants are responding to the training well, said Derrick Hiltz, Construction Innovation and Development Director, Qualico.

“The median assessment averages remain inside of 70 – 85 percent,” he said. “Both the assessment scores and positive reviews indicate that Qualico is on the right track with the program.”