MAD HATTER

 

 

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION
MANAGEMENT

The Construction | Management
program at Douglas College is gaining
national recognition thanks to Jim
Sator's five year involvement in one of
Canada's largest management in-
stitutes.

Sator, the Acting Dean of Applied
Programs at Douglas Colllege, recent-
ly tabled recommendations from an
Interprovincial Certification
Committee with the Construction
Management Institute (CMI).

The implications of Sator’s work mean
an even better quality Construction
Management program at Douglas
College, and more enhanced employ-
ment prospects for its graduates.

in November the CMI Board agreed to
start national standards examinations
in four construction management
areas - estimating, project
management, business administra-
tion and supervision.

“What happened was the Board saw
the need for national standards and the
value of a college diploma,” Sator said.

Under the proposal, graduates of a
Construction Management diploma
program need only work two years
before qualifying to write the exams.
Other people must have five years
work experience.

“Now a Douglas College diploma in
Construction Management will be of
benefit anywhere in the country, and
more people working in the industry
will see the value of our program.”

Douglas College has the oldest es-
tablished, and one of the best
recognized, Construction
Management diploma programs in the
province. Its instructors are
acknowledged experts in the field.

 

 

Keith Collier, author of one of the most
widely used Construction
Management textbooks on the conti-
nent, is one faculty member.

Others are award-winning architect
Stewart Howard, and Hank Naylor
program coordinator, with 15 years
experience in construction planning
and a long involvement in the building
of the new permanent campus of
Douglas College.

With Sator's involvement in the CMI,
Douglas College has ao headstart in
bringing all aspects of the national
standards into its Construction
Management curriculum.

The national tests will center on topics
already included in the two-year
diploma program.

“We're right on target for adjusting the
new standards,” Sator says. “Our
faculty is already teaching material,
such as computer applications, which
will be part of the national standards in
the near future.”

“And national standards will give our
graduates real mobility in the in-
dustry,” he says. “Whether it’s in
Newfoundland or B.C., an employer
will know that our students are quali-
fied.”

“It also gives a great incentive for
people interested in construction to go
to Douglas College.”

Sator says one big problem will be for
people currently employed in the in-
dustry trying to remember details of
work they rarely perform.

He suggests currently employed con-
struction managers may benefit from
evening courses in the program.

Douglas College constantly adds new
computer software and hardware to its
Construction Management program to
keep on top of the latest industry im-
provements.

 

Currently, students are introduced to
estimating, accounting and project
management software -- the same
computer programs used by the
largest construction companies.

“With the solid background Douglas
College can give a person, the work
experience after graduation really just
reinforces their education,” Sator

says.

“With Douglas College participation in
the new national standards certifica-
tion program, our graduates have a
double advantage.”

BRINGING
INVESTORS AND
ENTREPRENEURS
TOGETHER AT
DOUGLAS COLLEGE

On Saturday, November 29, the
Douglas Centre for Enterprise
Development sponsored a Business
Ideafair in the Lower Cafeteria of
Douglas College. The purpose of the
fair was to provide an opportunity for
clients of the Douglas Centre to ex-
pose their projects to potential in-
vestors and/or partners.

The biggest challenge facing most
small business start-ups today is
obtaining financing. There is no short-
age of unique and potentially succes-
sful ideas but there is a very large
shortage of investors prepared to
accept the risk commitment inherent in
financing projects based on these
ideas.

By sponsoring the Business Ideofair,
the Douglas Centre enabled 20 of its
clients to have direct access to 235
attendees, many of whom were in-
terested investors. Reports by ex-
hibitors of obtaining 25 plus names of
interested parties was not unusual.