Young AEC Professionals Institute (YAECPI) 2023

Young AEC Professionals Institute (YAECPI) 2023

The Need.  Early in your AEC career, job expectations enlarge.  Your company wants you to take on new tasks:  more project management more communicating with others, writing, managing finances, negotiating, presenting.  You don’t need another degree, but you do need serious exposure, training and development — and that’s exactly what YAECPI delivers.

Guest Instructors.  One of the great benefits of working in the New England is our access to some of the best thinkers and thoughtful design professionals in the world.  10+ guest instructors — architects, contractors, engineers, owner/clients — assist in teaching and leading small breakout group discussions.  You not only listen to, but connect and engage with them.  to explore the issues and ideas most important to you.

Hybrid Learning Mixes Online, In-Person and Hosted In-Person Sessions.  With many participants traveling significant distances to attend, most sessions are Online.  Two sessions whose topics particularly benefit from it are In-Person. Two other sessions are Hosted Online – Online for the learning content, followed by Hosted discussion and networking.

Group Projects.  Piloted last year, Group Projects consisting of small, mixed profession groups, exceeded our expectations for delivering valuable learning and in-depth relationship building.  You can view several of the projects – articles, young AEC professionals job survey and podcast episodes on the Insights blog page of our www.building-leader.com website

Photo credit: Christina on Unsplash

To sign up for any of the sessions listed below, please download the registration form. For additional info, visit https://www.architects.org/programs/ydpdi or contact William Ronco at wronco@gatheringpace.com

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM

March 7

HR Issues, Opportunities.
HR core knowledge young professionals must have:  legal rights, boundaries.  Why and how to ask for raise.  Getting the most from your performance appraisal

Guest Instructors

Diana Hasan, CE Floyd
Emily Shockley, Shepley
Kathy Freitas, Bond

Online Hosted:  Shepley, Boston

March 23

Leading Change.
The 5 major AEC changes now and how they impact you.  7 reasons why people resist change.  How, why to initiate change from any position in the organization.
Guest Instructors
Siggy Pfendler, Columbia Construction
Shawn Guertin, TG Gallagher

Online

April 12

Improving BD, Marketing and Writing Skills.
Why, how to start strong with BD. 4 easy, effective BD tasks and marketing tasks.  How to sell without selling.  Thought leader marketing – Why, how to develop a blog that people want to read.

Guest Instructors
Kristine Gorman, Jacobs
Karen Robichaud, KR Associates

Online

May 10

Improving BD, Marketing and Writing Skills.
Why, how to start strong with BD. 4 easy, effective BD tasks and marketing tasks.  How to sell without selling.  Thought leader marketing – Why, how to develop a blog that people want to read.

Guest Instructors
Kristine Gorman, Jacobs
Karen Robichaud, KR Associates

Online

May 23

Smarter Everyday AEC Negotiating.
Recognizing your negotiations strengths, weaknesses. Identifying your key everyday negotiations. Getting beyond Yes. Negotiating to “win” vs. negotiating for synergy. Achieving 1+1=3 negotiating results.

Guest Instructors
Matthew Brett, Mass General Hospital
Arielle Scher, HGA

Payette, Boston

June 6

Me As Leader? 
Using a 360 Leadership Survey to clarify your strengths and weaknesses.  Why, how to lead when you have less experience than others. Setting, achieving your key goals.

Guest Instructors
Dan Perruzzi, Margulies Perruzzi
Shawn Gallant, Columbia 

Online

July 11

Improving Presentation Skills.

Increasing skills, comfort, confidence and impact.  Starting with Why.  Telling a compelling story.  How to fully, actively engage all your audience.  Finding your best “voice.”

Guest Instructors
Jackie Falla, Elaine Construction
Tom Buie, Commodore Building

Online, Commodore Building, Waltham

August 15

Smarter “Difficult” Emails / AEC Legal Literacy.
4 guidelines for writing those “difficult” emails. Why and how to read your project contract. Top 10 issues that trigger AEC legal problems.

Guest Instructors
Alexandra Gordon, Esq, Hinckley Allen
Rebecca Raphaelson, Esq, Mintz

Online

September 19

Group Project Presentations: Present, Discuss, Celebrate!

Project Groups present their topics, facilitate discussion with participants, discuss lessons learned, IMHOs and action steps

Guest Instructors

Participants’ invited colleagues, managers and clients

Online

Why YAECPI

YAECPI enables you to:

  • Take on new tasks and responsibilities
  • Improve job performance and productivity
  • Build productive relationships with peers and architects
  • Increase the value you add to your company
  • Accelerate your career development

 

YAECPI features:

  • Hybrid learning includes online, in-person and hosted online
  • Industry leader guest instructors
  • No one-way lectures - small groups and hands-on learning
  • Materials include “Smarter AEC Negotiating” online course
  • Participant mix of architects, engineers and contractors
  • Convenient scheduling 12 sessions January - September

YAECPI Benefits and Outcomes for Participants

Training and development are intangible but they produce very tangible results. Key outcomes for YAECPI participants:

- Improved ability to add value in their company
- Increased skills taking on new, challenging tasks
- Increased performance and comfort in areas that matter most for the company’s performance
- Improved ability to develop meaningful relationships with clients
- Increased understanding and ability to connect with other disciplines in their own company
- Increased performance and comfort in marketing, business development and networking
- Development of essential skills, e.g. communicating, writing, presenting, managing projects, managing finances, marketing
- Acquisition of perspective resulting from interaction with peers from other companies, instructors, and interaction with contractors in the BSA Young Designers program
- Increased focus, job satisfaction and motivation resulting from all the above

YAECPI Benefits / Outcomes for Sponsoring Companies

Beyond individual participants, sponsoring companies also benefit from participating YAECPI:

- Improved retention and development of key talent

- Increased marketing and business development activity and success

- Improved morale and company spirit resulting from clear demonstration of the company’s commitment to professional development for young designers

- Acquisition of current ideas and fresh perspective on best practices being developed by other companies and industry experts participating in the program

- Improved employee alignment with the company’s strategic plan

- Raised expectations for job performance and productivity from program participants

- Use of the program to strengthen the company’s efforts at mentoring and coaching

- Recognition of the company as an Excellent Employer

Program Leadership

President of Gathering Pace, Inc., William Ronco, Ph.D., founded YAECPI 20+ years ago. He directs the program, partnering with AGC Massachusetts. Dr. Ronco also founded and directs the Young Designers Professional Institute, partnering with the Boston Society of Architects.

Dr. Ronco consults on strategy, leadership and partnering with design, engineering, owner / client, construction, biotech and science organizations.  He is author of The Partnering Solution (Career Press) and Partnering Manual for Design and Construction (McGraw-Hill). A former professor at Northeastern University, Dr. Ronco earned his B.A. at Rutgers University, his Ed.M. at Harvard and his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Colin Milberg and Toni Loiacano assist with Institute leadership.  A founding partner of ASKM Consulting, Colin is a construction industry expert in lean methods, facilitation and change management.  He teaches in the AGC’s programs on Lean Construction.  Toni is a senior vice president at Cannon Design.   She has extensive experience and interest in mentoring, presenting new design concepts to client associations.