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ILX Construction Training
Multi-trade training software is available on CD's or online versions
oncrete flatwork, roof truss- es, walls and ceiling finishes are some of the topics covered in CD and online courses from ILX Construction Training, a product of Xactware Solutions, Orem, Utah.
Matt Weir, associate vice president of marketing at Xactware, likes to quote one of his clients who requires his employees to read through the 40 hours or so of training available: “He answers the question, ‘What if I spend the time and expense training them and then they leave?’ with, ‘What if I don’t train them and they stay?’” Weir says that ILX Construction Training is an efficient and easy way to both get employees up to speed in a trade and round out their knowledge of construction in general.
The construction training program covers all aspects of residential construction instruction. It takes the average student 40 hours to complete the prog-ram, which is broken down by topic. The program includes 15 hours of video instruction and about 25 hours of testing, an essential part of the course. A Washington University study showed students tested on a subject actually comprehend and retain more information than those who just read about it.
Testing serves another function for contractors by highlights employees’ strengths and weaknesses. Christopher Fossett, president and owner of Green-Leaf Consulting, Ocean Springs, Miss., requires his employees to complete the course. “It’s mandatory to do one hour a week until you do the entire course,” he says. “You have people who can build an entire building but can’t use a tape measure.”
If employees receive a 70% or lower score on a test, they have to redo the lesson, and Fossett keeps track. “That subject is a weak point, and it’s something I look out for in the field and give that person a hands-on follow-up,” he says.
Weir says that many contractors use the program for their support staff so they can speak intelligently with customers. “A company may bring in a framer, but it wants him to understand the other trades and why they use a double plate on a bearing wall or what the plumber and electrician will be doing,” Weir adds.
The CD version comes on 22 disks organized into 10 learning blocks. The online version is modulated into 50 separate courses by topic. “The online version can have a broader geography,” Weir says, “You don’t have to worry about CDs getting scratched or lost, particularly if there are many people using them.”
The online version is sold by per-user registration for $205 a person per quarter, or a single course for $35, and the CD version is sold per computer—unlimited use for $595. Xactware is developing a Spanish online version and has a roofing DVD available in Spanish. n
Xactware Inc.
1426 E. 750 North
Orem, Utah 84097
801-764-5900
www.xactware.com/
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