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Each October, construction industry professionals in HR, training and workforce development gear up for the industry’s premier learning and networking event, , and this year is no different.  The 2016 event will be held Oct. 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.  Here are the top 10 reasons to attend this year’s event.

1. The pre-conference Federal Construction HR Workshop, sponsored by E-Mars, will feature sessions on “Wage and Hour Issues Impacting Federal Construction Contractors”, “OFCCP Regulatory Wrap-Up”, and “Understanding Federal Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Obligations (for Employers with both a Construction and Non-Construction Workforce and for those who are unsure).”
    
2. This year’s conference and workshop have been pre-approved for 13.25 recertification credits toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). For those who are SHRM-certified, inputting sessions manually is a great option for obtaining credit toward your SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification.  Just print and maintain a copy of the conference agenda for future reference. 
    
3. Sessions for training professionals will cover the most cutting-edge techniques in training and development currently in use and envisioned for the future of the industry while the HR-related sessions will help HR professionals in the industry remain up to date and compliant with employment laws and best practices.
    
4. Training and workforce development professionals will appreciate sessions on “Building a Successful Future with Generation Next”, “Developing Future Leaders”, “Setting the Starting Line for New Managers”, and “Keeping Your People Safe by Modernizing the Way They Learn on the Job.”
    
5. HR professionals will appreciate sessions on the “Top 10 HR Best Practices Contractors Should Adopt to Avoid Getting Sued by Their Employees”, “Using KRA-based Job Descriptions in Construction”, and “Labor & Employment Law Changes that Impact Construction.”
    
6. Lunch on Thursday isn’t just lunch – it’s a roundtable discussion! Pre-register for one of six roundtable lunch discussions to talk through specific challenges faced by construction training and HR professionals today, with timely, effective and proven solutions.
    
7. There will be great networking opportunities, including the HR and TED Forums Networking Dinner and Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise which are both open to all attendees.
    
8. Not to be missed this year are the Conference’s four anchor sessions.  During the opening session of the conference, Buddy Hobart, author of Gen Y Now, will start the conference with his session on Millennials and the Evolution of Leadership.  A visionary leader for training and development in construction, J. Doug Pruitt, former chairman and CEO of Sundt Construction, will close the first day of the conference with his session based on the book Level Headed: Inside the Walls of One of the Greatest Turnaround Stories of the 21st Century.  Pruitt’s session is ideal for HR and training professionals who are interested in taking a more strategic approach to construction HR and training management by understanding the needs of a CEO who is working to build or maintain a profitable construction company with a far-reaching reputation and long-lasting legacy.  On the final day of the conference, retired police commissioner, Bo Mitchell, will share best practices for planning and training employees for active shooter and other workplace violence situations. And to close out the conference, Mike Byam, author of The WOW! Workplace will share best practices for developing a culture of recognition in order to retain your best employees.
    
9. Learn about products and services that are uniquely catered for use by construction training and HR professionals in the conference exhibit hall.  This year’s exhibitors are , , , , , and .  The Federal Construction HR Workshop will include a demo of the E-Mars Davis-Bacon software system, and breakfast on Thursday and Friday will showcase demos of products and services offered by NCCER, BirdDog HR, the 51���� Alternative, and the Project Leadership Academy.
    
10. Take advantage of the $100 early-bird discount when registering before August 29.
    
    See full session descriptions, schedule, and registration information at .