A career in the trades is more feasible and rewarding than it has ever been. As the industry continues to grow and innovate there is a critical, growing need for competent workers. New materials, new machines and evolving processes require constant up-skilling. At the same time secondary school training in the trades is not always available. This has caused a critical skills shortage in several industries that is limiting many companies from growing and projects to be delayed.
CAHill TECH, Inc. provides the aQuiRe tool to directly © address this skills gap. aQuiRe is an eTraining platform with a mobile app that makes it easy for their customers to stay up to date in the industry with hundreds of “microburst” learning modules. It has thousands of fresh, current, and modern resources which are attractive and user-friendly for the NextGen worker. These microburst trainings are typically 2-5 minutes in length for very targeted real time access. The app was purpose-built so it quick training or reference piece can be used easily with greasy hands or wearing work gloves. The QR in the name stands for QR Codes. A user can scan a QR pasted on a machine or a jobsite poster to pop up a specific skill.
The aQuiRe Skills Center library features top level industry experts. They have real experience in the field, assuring relevant and realistic training in every video. Each user comes away with a new perspective and piece of knowledge to help them better understand how to be productive and safe. Workers love using the app because it gives them a way to build their skills and advance thier career in ways previously unavailable.
The app features a robust library of several hundred training modules in the general library, available at no extra cost with a company subscription. This library will continue to grow in depth and breadth to help workers keep their skills up to date and top of mind. Companies can also contract the CAHill production team to develop custom modules that are relevant to their own culture and practices. This is great for capturing tribal knowledge and passing it to the next generations.
When a company uses the aQuiRe app they can deliver the training in a group setting or remotely, saving travel time and consulting fees. Whether this training is needed at a specific job site or before the construction season begins, there is always a way for clients to get the training delivered to their employees. When they purchase a new asset, they stick a QR code on the machine for the employee to scan. By scanning that QR code, their employee will be provided training on how to specifically operate that piece of equipment. The company has partnerships with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and material suppliers, which deepens and enriches the content available to its clients.
The aQuiRe Standards Logging feature allows company leaders to track recurring equipment maintenance, health and safety activities and other standard processes. By eliminating paper and the related inefficiency surrounding checklists and process guides, leaders can understand and control field conditions much more easily. For example, a construction company assigns their workers a Skills Center module on the proper methods for maintaining a specific model of backhoe. They link that up with a Standards Logging survey outlining the specific steps needed to do a proper and compliant inspection of the backhoe. This inspection survey is completed each day before the machine gets turned on. Leaders have a full historical record of inspection activity including detailed notes that can be routed via text or email for further preventative maintenance action.
Some companies are using aQuiRe to deliver annual Safety Training in person. Others are using it for weekly Toolbox Talks. aQuiRe is the tool that brings the team together for safety, efficiency, and compliance training. This way, company leaders continually improve the effectiveness and safety posture of their workforce. And workers go home to their families every day with a smile on their faces.
The Inception Story
The mind behind CAHill TECH is Carley Hill, who currently serves as the President and CEO of the company. Ms. Hill has a first-hand background in the construction industry, growing up in a family-owned road and bridge construction business. She quickly recognized the need for and importance of education for the field-based workforce. She expresses that training is constantly changing due to technical requirements, the retirement of seasoned workers, and environmental or regulatory needs.
This insight was the seed that has grown into the © company’s current eTraining platform, aQuiRe that focuses on safety, innovation, and knowledge in an easy-toadminister platform. Ms. Hill believes that it should not be difficult for construction leaders to ensure that their team follows best practices at project sites.
CAHill TECH is driven to find creative ways to pass the information generationally in meaningful and relevant ways. “But innovation will never be accepted without relational credibility. Which is why we’ve always placed the highest value on experienced, super-informed people whose roots in the industry run deep,” says Ms. Hill. The company might harness the latest technology, but the origin story starts not in a laboratory or board room but the trenches. And Ms. Hill believes that Innovation, Knowledge, and Trust have to work together.
Hear it from the Clients
“In training today’s workforce, flexibility is paramount. A virtual training system like this is key for meeting the demands of the changing workforce.”
William Geary, Erie County DPW Commissioner
“My guys LOVE the videos; they literally say love. And these are construction workers.” -Jeff Distefano, Harrison & Burrowes
“aQuiRe© is like having a second set of hands. It allows me to train employees when I’m not available and shows me if employees are capable. Truly a worthwhile sytem.” —Max Korzaniewski, Safety & Logistics Manager at UCC
Into the Future
CAHill TECH foresees aQuiRe becoming one of the top © eTraining platforms for the trades. aQuiRe has successfully delivered solutions in the field of heavy construction as the initial industry focus. But this approach of technologybased microburst learning can work wherever there is a workforce ready to be equipped. The team is excited to explore the cross-industry potential over the next few years.
The aQuiRe platform helps project leaders become the best-in-class in their region through superior communication, coaching, and mentorship for their entire team. The CAHill team will continue to develop strong relationships with current clients by continuing to provide solutions to workforce training to keep their workforce safe and productive. CAHill TECH is pursuing recognition country-wide as an online mentor training provider for the construction industry.
Carley Hill, President and CEO, CAHill TECH, Inc. WBE, DBE
