The Kansas Contractors Association and six other leading construction professionals, companies and chapters were recognized last week for developing successful training programs, the Associated General Contractors of America announced. The winners, which were announced during the AGC HR and Training & Development Conference in Atlanta, received the first-ever Education Excellence Awards designed to recognize the construction craft, and supervisory and management programs.

“Having all the construction expertise in the world doesn’t matter unless you have an effective way to share it with colleagues and co-workers,” said Ted Aadland, AGC senior vice president. “There are no better examples of how to educate and improve construction professionals than these programs.”

The award for chapter craft training program went to the Kansas Contractors Association for its Construction Industry Training Program, which focuses on improving employee skills through targeted training. The chapter started the program as a way to address shortages of skilled workers. Since the program was launched in 2006, thousands of employees from more than 100 companies have taken advantage of the program’s more than 267 different courses.

The Kansas Contractors Association is the state’s largest full-service association representing the heavy, highway and utility construction industry.

New York City-based Turner Construction was named the grand award winner for its company-wide training program. The instructor of the year award went to Paul Stout for his work for the AGC of San Diego chapter. Tempe, Arizona-based Sundt Construction received the project & executive management training award for member companies.

AGC of Wisconsin won the project & executive management training award for chapters based on its Leadership AGC program. Mascaro Construction of Pittsburgh, received the supervisory training award for its Feedback for Performance Workshops. And the award for best craft training program by a member company went to Pizzagalli Construction of South Burlington, Vt.

Winners were chosen by a 12-person judging panel made up of industry professionals. The judges evaluated nearly 40 different training programs that were nominated for the award. The Education Excellence Award is the only national program that recognizes construction industry training for all levels of the profession, from managers to crafts workers.