On August 6, 2018, the San Francisco Public Utility Commission, in partnership with Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) in Sonora, CA, presented a full day training on project management concepts as part of the SFPUC’s Community Benefits Program. This training included hands-on project scheduling skills development using PMA’s Netpoint scheduling software. Students were offered two years of free licenses and user support for this software.
The training was coordinated by SFPUC’s Tracy Zhu, Community Benefits Manager, and Valerie Tulier-Laiwa from Workforce and Economic Programs, and Dave Theony, Executive Director, Connie Perreira, Lisa Edwards, Pamela Hughes, and Kelly Smith of Mother Lode Job Training. Bruce Stephan, Ajay Singh, Angel Ripepi, and Sergio Ponce de Leon from the minority-owned business, PMA-Dabri JV, provided the training. The topics included:
- Overview of Project Management
- Project Management Software
- Overview of Scheduling
- Scheduling Software (NetPoint and others)
- How to Build a Schedule
- How to Update a Schedule
- How to Review a Contractor’s Schedules
- General Concepts of Risk Management
The attendees included job-seekers looking to develop new skills and individuals from local public agencies, including the San Joaquin County Office of Education and the County of Tuolumne. Participants reported that the most valuable features of the training included project scheduling, time management, NetPoint functionality, increasing productivity and efficiency, resource scheduling, workforce information, and project management tool concepts. The training received an overall 9.5 out of 10 rating and very positive comments.
After the training, PMA Dabri met with MLJT leadership and staff to establish a collaborative relationship to staff upcoming project management jobs with local candidates. PMA Dabri welcomed the opportunity to mentor and train qualified people in the specific skills needed to support the almost $1 billion SFPUC Hetch Hetchy Improvement Program. PMA Dabri has also recently provided an internship for a high school student as part of SFPUC’s Community Benefits Program, which provides training to help local nonprofits and schools that train students in disadvantaged areas to become the workforce of the future. The program plays a key role by connecting SFPUC contractors and consultants with local non-profits to strengthen the economies of neighboring communities.