National Center for Construction Education & Research Releases New Construction Superintendent Certification Program

Alachua, Florida (Jan. 16, 2019)—The National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) has released a new superintendent assessment and is partnering with FMI corporation to offer a joint certification to qualified professionals in the superintendent field. The assessment was developed in conjunction with subject matter experts for professionals whose primary role is to oversee the operations of a construction site from planning to completion. This joint certification encompasses both the NCCER assessment, which recognizes the knowledge of these professionals and the FMI Field Leadership Institute that provides hands-on interactive education and experiences.

While the skilled worker shortage has gained much attention over the last few years, it is vitally important the industry also address the impact on front-line supervisory and management roles. Over a third of construction managers are estimated to retire in the next three years and that jumps to over half of the industry’s management workforce by 2026. It is critical to begin training now since it can take anywhere from 4 to 9 years for a new superintendent to gain acceptable competency and experience, and even longer to reach seasoned professional level.

“As our industry grows, and attrition is inevitable, there has never been a greater need for qualified superintendents,” shared Don Whyte, chief executive officer of NCCER. “There are some excellent front-line management training programs available in the industry today. Our goal is to support these programs with the opportunity to align to the new superintendent assessment and provide those going through training an industry-recognized certification.” Whyte continued, “We believe our partnership with FMI will help build a pipeline of field leaders through the benefit of both a structured, interactive experience and knowledge verification of industry professionals.”

Completing the NCCER construction superintendent assessment and FMI Field Leadership Institute are the first steps to finishing the program, followed by an online application and verification. This multi-step process helps ensure the construction industry is providing training and recognition for the workforce through utilizing the experience qualified professionals are gaining in the field, developing their knowledge.

For more information, visit nccer.org/superintendent.