Turning experience into a system

MCS Influencer Robert Tiffin says a proper framework for documented training is essential because quality buildings still start with quality people.

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Robert Tiffin of Silvercote. You can Read the interview below, Listen to the podcast or Watch the recording.

Hi, I'm Robert Tiffin with Silvercoat and past president of the MBCEA. The IS, MBCEA and AC 478 are doing something our industry has needed for a long time: turning experience into a system instead of a guessing game. For years, a lot of knowledge in metal building construction lived in the heads of a few seasoned GCs and superintendents. Some were delivered between a job side trailer and a pickup tailgate. Valuable? Absolutely. Sustainable? Nope, not exactly.

AC 478 changes that. It creates a framework for documented training, safety, quality control and accountability, so newer crews are not just told what to do, but actually trained how and why to do it correctly. And with evolving energy codes, more sophisticated building envelopes, labor shortages and tighter schedules, our industry cannot afford, "Well, we've always done it this way," anymore.

That's where the steps in the AC 478, providing education, mentorship, training resources and a pathway for companies that want to raise the bar instead of simply just clearing it. The end result? Safer projects, better consistency, stronger craftsmanship and a workforce that is prepared for where the industry is going, not where it was so many years ago. Because at the end of the day, quality buildings still start with quality people.