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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 JA N UA R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 8 "It's a huge expense on our part," Vigue says of the facilities. "But it's very eff ective at bringing people onboard." "Individuals like to know that they can grow and challenge themselves in their career," says Mike Bennett, a Cianbro vice president. " e company has made the commitment to develop the team. By providing our team mem- bers with the programs to develop their skills, they are able to grow in their careers and the company is able to meet its workforce development objectives. If you give individuals the test, 'Do you want to work for a company that pro- vides you with educational opportuni- ties or not,' I think that's an easy test to pass. So I believe it is valuable to them. I believe it also helps retain and attract people to the organization." Touting the industry's rewards Employers say, in general, it's essential to communicate the industry's rewards. "We're trying to change the industry perception, and show poten- tial hires how rewarding it is," says Tonello. "We're trying to convince folks that, although it's not as easy as an offi ce job, it's much more vari- able, and every day can be diff erent. You can have a productive feeling at the end of the day that you've accomplished something tangible. You get to see the work product in front of you." Vigue agrees. " e general perception of the construction industry is not always positive," he says. "So we try to portray our company as a place where people can have a career in this industry, in multiple diff erent positions, as well as earn a good living and at the same time go home in better condition than when they came to work. at helps people to understand that working in this industry is very positive: A person can earn a good living and at the same time leverage educational opportunities to grow in their careers all while working in a safe environment. In addition, not only can they earn a good wage here and grow professionally, but they can become part of our employee owner- ship and do very well fi nancially." L S , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r writer, can be reached at @ . a n d @ M R E I F O C U S P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Matthew Tonello, center, Consigli's director of operations in Maine and project executive, discusses the 3-D modeling of the foundation for the new Colby College athletics complex. Also pictured are, left to right, Stephen McPherson, Hannah Brazell, Curtis Thormann, Jack Moran and Evan Glassman. The 3-D modeling enables the workers at the construction sites to be more effi cient.

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