Latest / The Elevator Careers Podcast / The Elevator Learning Center | Bobby Schaeffer

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The Elevator Learning Center | Bobby Schaeffer · The Elevator Careers Podcast

0:00
SPEAKER_01: If you've got all your teams out there and all your repair teams and your your maintenance mechanics uh troubleshooters fixing it the first time and your mod teams, the construction teams bringing it in in the time estimated by the sales team, it's it's gold, it's pure gold.
0:17
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's it's the mark of a successful company.
0:21
SPEAKER_01: If you have well-trained people.
0:24
SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the Allred Group.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: I am your host, Matt Allred.
0:32
SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we talk to the people whose lives and careers are dedicated to the vertical transportation industry, to inform and share lessons learned, building upon the foundation of those who have gone before to inspire the next generation of elevator careers.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: Today we are talking with Bobby Schaefer about the Elevator Learning Center.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: The Elevator Learning Center was created to help provide a more advanced level of technical and safety training than is common throughout the elevator industry.
1:01
SPEAKER_00: The ELC is dedicated to helping elevator companies enhance their quality of service and to protect the writing public.
1:08
SPEAKER_00: It is also dedicated to helping elevator professionals advance their careers through education and training.
1:15
SPEAKER_00: Bobby, welcome to the show.
1:17
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
1:20
SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to talk to you.
1:21
SPEAKER_00: I know last time we started uh whether we were talking, you mentioned the Elevator Learning Center.
1:26
SPEAKER_00: And so I wanted to get a chance to really dig into that.
1:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, your passion for you you started creating it.
1:33
SPEAKER_00: Um, first, what is what is that about?
1:35
SPEAKER_01: And uh just give us some well, I mean, the I'll try and be quick on the history.
1:42
SPEAKER_01: Um back in 2017, we were still struggling to hire good mechanics.
1:47
SPEAKER_01: We had some younger mechanics who are slowly coming up through the CET program.
1:52
SPEAKER_01: As you know, we we uh heavily involved in that uh program with the National Association.
1:58
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
1:58
SPEAKER_01: And um we decided uh to put out a um email blast to a list of 23,000 elevator mechanics.
2:10
SPEAKER_00: That's a lot.
2:10
SPEAKER_01: I can't tell you how I got a list of 23,000 elevator mechanics.
2:16
SPEAKER_01: But um we sent out an email blast uh for about a week, uh, a couple of times, and uh what we found was uh that no one was out of work.
2:30
SPEAKER_01: There wasn't a single reply.
2:32
SPEAKER_01: If there was a reply, it was no, I'm good.
2:34
SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm currently working in this area, I'm currently working in that area.
2:39
SPEAKER_01: Um we just there was just nobody available to hire.
2:43
SPEAKER_01: Um the uh it was an amazing thing.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: We really thought we would get some feedback, you know, 20 guys, 50 guys, 100 guys that, you know, or gals that that you know wanted a job, wanted to maybe move on or an opportunity to grow.
3:01
SPEAKER_01: And um so uh that was back in 2017.
3:04
SPEAKER_01: As a result of that, uh DD Elevator was running its own um education program, and we had been since 2001.
3:14
SPEAKER_01: What we decided as a result of that was that we really needed an education and training center.
3:20
SPEAKER_01: So we embarked on building it out.
3:22
SPEAKER_01: We uh rented some space originally in Yonkers, New York, uh, the birthplace of elevators, and um, or the modern elevator, I should say.
3:32
SPEAKER_01: And um, we built out a training center and we started thinking about branding and came up with the elevator learning center, a couple other different names, but we landed on the elevator learning center.
3:45
SPEAKER_01: By the end of 2018, we had it fully built out.
3:49
SPEAKER_01: Uh we uh started trying to enlist other companies to come and join us at the Elevator Learning Center.
3:56
SPEAKER_01: And we piloted a couple of programs, uh, delivered a couple of courses, both in person and uh through remote learning, through uh cameras and online uh delivery.
4:10
SPEAKER_01: And uh it worked pretty well.
4:12
SPEAKER_01: And then um we decided, okay, let's uh go right to the source.
4:17
SPEAKER_01: We went to uh local high school and we made an uh agreement to train up to 10 high school juniors and seniors as a pre-apprenticeship program.
4:29
SPEAKER_01: Um we went to the NAC, we got that approved, we got uh a new uh chapter written into the ANSI documents to make sure that we were uh satisfying all their requirements.
4:42
SPEAKER_01: And uh we interviewed 15 candidates, we chose five.
4:46
SPEAKER_01: Um, and classes were due to start uh April 5th of 2020.
4:55
SPEAKER_01: So as you can imagine, there you go, uh late March, uh everything hit the fan, and uh that was the end of the pre-apprenticeship.
5:04
SPEAKER_01: Schools closed, uh we closed, we stopped in-person learning, uh, we continued the remote, and that worked well.
5:12
SPEAKER_01: Um, but the in-person learning, which I think is important, uh just kind of fell by the wayside.
5:17
SPEAKER_01: So now it's a couple of years later, and uh here we are in um spring of 2022.
5:24
SPEAKER_01: Um when um when DD um sold its company, we also sold the Elevator Learning Center with it.
5:33
SPEAKER_01: And as a result, um the new owners decided to make an investment and they wanted to really build out.
5:42
SPEAKER_01: They felt there was a major need both for American Elevator Group and and for anybody else who chooses to participate.
5:51
SPEAKER_01: So um we started a major build-out.
5:54
SPEAKER_01: We moved the uh training center, the elevator learning center, into Long Island City.
6:00
SPEAKER_01: It's about an eight-minute train ride from Grand Central, so very centrally located.
6:05
SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh we embarked on building out this new elevator learning center, which is now um just on steroids.
6:14
SPEAKER_01: It's it's amazing.
6:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, if you build it, they will come.
6:17
SPEAKER_01: Well, that's what's happening.
6:19
SPEAKER_01: So very exciting to see what the future holds.
6:22
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
6:22
SPEAKER_00: So what what you envisioned, I mean, it sounds like initially it's just, hey, we need more people, but then as you made the investment, it's you you could see that other companies would need the same, the same people, the same opportunities.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, if you will.
6:36
SPEAKER_01: We we knew we weren't the only one.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
6:39
SPEAKER_01: We knew everybody was short of people.
6:41
SPEAKER_01: Um, we figured let's make the investment and let's throw it out there.
6:45
SPEAKER_01: And at the time it was uh it was being done run under Dean D elevator.
6:50
SPEAKER_01: We had our own education program.
6:52
SPEAKER_01: We were already doing the training.
6:54
SPEAKER_01: We just kind of built it out and built a chaff way and a full cab and machinery and simulators and and uh all the things you need, the hands-on training that you need to learn that goes with the textbook training of uh of the CT program.
7:11
SPEAKER_01: Every all the curriculum still is the CT program.
7:14
SPEAKER_01: It's just that all of our enhanced and supplemental training revolves around that.
7:19
SPEAKER_01: And uh since August, we've really launched the Elevated Learning Center as a separate entity.
7:26
SPEAKER_01: And um and we've created a lot more than that since uh a lot of exciting things um that we can talk about.
7:33
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, that's great.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: That's great.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: So uh it sounds like it's kind of a a nonprofit or something that uh just kind of operates there to serve the industry.
7:42
SPEAKER_01: Well, it's it's it's not a nonprofit, um, but it is inexpensive.
7:49
SPEAKER_01: It's uh when you add up the cost of training today, uh the cost of a college degree, the cost of any kind of institutional technical institute.
8:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, it's very, very affordable.
8:02
SPEAKER_01: We try to make it as flexible as possible.
8:04
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we try and work around people's schedules.
8:07
SPEAKER_01: We work around, we know mechanics are out in the field.
8:10
SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of flexibility built into the delivery.
8:14
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, if you have a gentleman who's come through eight or nine weeks of class and then one night he can't make it to the class.
8:23
SPEAKER_01: Well, we record all the classes.
8:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh he can always remote in.
8:27
SPEAKER_01: Uh, if he can't get to the class, he can remote in when he gets home.
8:32
SPEAKER_01: He can take the recording.
8:33
SPEAKER_01: There's some homework that goes with it.
8:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, and there's certain requirements and things that have to be done in order for them to get credit for the class if they don't physically make it to class.
8:44
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
8:45
SPEAKER_01: But oh all in all, it's about delivering education and and trying to make sure it's not so much even that they make it to every single class, just that they capture it, they learn it, and they retain what they're learning.
8:58
SPEAKER_01: And if they can't learn it that night in class, there's uh full uh the instructors are all um uh in contact with their with their people.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: We have an online chat room for each course that we deliver, uh allows them to communicate with the instructor if they miss something, if they need tutoring, all that's done uh online.
9:21
SPEAKER_00: Very cool, very cool.
9:22
SPEAKER_00: So do you do you find that companies are mostly the ones signing up and sending their people, or is it individuals signing up and saying, hey, I I want to get this training, want to advance my career?
9:33
SPEAKER_01: Um it's a little of both.
9:35
SPEAKER_01: Um we've had uh now that we've kind of got this thing where we want it with both the CET curriculum, the four-year candidate program, and the container education for license mechanics.
9:49
SPEAKER_01: Uh it's very surprising to us how many people are calling and and communicating to us that they just want education and they just don't feel like there's enough out there.
9:59
SPEAKER_01: Um the CET side, the candidate side, there are several um companies that are not affiliated with AEG who are signing up for the July semester.
10:12
SPEAKER_01: We have currently about 170 candidates for just for AEG alone in the program.
10:19
SPEAKER_01: And we've got about another 24, 25, I think last count, um, of uh companies that have candidates that have signed up for July semester um to that are not affiliated with AEG.
10:36
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
10:36
SPEAKER_01: So and it's a very neutral ground.
10:38
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we all we want to do is train and educate people.
10:41
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
10:42
SPEAKER_01: Whether whether whether Company A hires someone from AG one day, we want them to be fully trained.
10:48
SPEAKER_01: Whether you know AG hires one of their people one day, we want them to be fully trained, both both in skill, um, safety, of course, and process.
10:59
SPEAKER_01: Process is a big one.
11:01
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
11:01
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it sounds like you're you're raising the bar of the entire industry because you're you're giving an opportunity for people.
11:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, for example, I talked to a guy, it's been a few months ago, but uh he'd been in the industry a number of years and still had not received the training that he was hoping to get.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: So he's you know been in five or six years, he's he's still not you know on his way to becoming a a certified mechanic because he hasn't been able to get that.
11:27
SPEAKER_00: So it sounds like you're putting that power.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: We're putting the power in the hands of the employee, and they are going actually in some cases, they're going to their employer.
11:37
SPEAKER_01: And the employer, knowing that they don't have uh a place to go, um, they are actually uh offering reimbursement.
11:47
SPEAKER_01: So uh if the employee himself signs signs up um and pays the fees and pays for the books and what have you, uh the employer actually reimburses it.
11:58
SPEAKER_01: That's that's been happening with the um with the companies, the unaffiliated companies.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
12:04
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of that.
12:06
SPEAKER_01: Some some companies are just paying the whole way, and other companies are saying, hey, you sign up for it, you do it, we'll reimburse you.
12:13
SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of that as well.
12:14
SPEAKER_01: And there is a lot of frustration.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: There are some uh people out there with two, three years in the business that just have not been able to take advantage of uh educational, you know, because of COVID, a lot of the education programs that were out there uh just kind of stopped.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
12:30
SPEAKER_01: And uh ours ours continued only because we could do it remotely.
12:34
SPEAKER_01: We were set up already to do it remotely.
12:36
SPEAKER_01: So that that's what helped us continue.
12:39
SPEAKER_00: That's great.
12:39
SPEAKER_00: That's great.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and this guy in particular that I mentioned, you know, he was ready to leave the industry because he just didn't feel like he, you know, because of COVID, a lot of things had shut down.
12:47
SPEAKER_00: He felt like he was stagnating and and wanted to give up.
12:51
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's great that this type of program even exists.
12:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, it's it's definitely its time has come.
13:00
SPEAKER_01: Um it's really exciting to see, you know, the other big thing is the continued education.
13:06
SPEAKER_01: Um, we're constantly, almost monthly now, building new titles.
13:10
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we've got about uh 40, 40 hours approved for uh NACCT continued education and uh continue education for licensing in in all the states.
13:23
SPEAKER_01: We actually have been getting it approved in other states as well that require licensing and continue education.
13:29
SPEAKER_01: So that's exciting as well.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: Talk to me a little bit about continuing education, because I I think as I under have understood it, you know, somebody will come into an apprenticeship and they'll maybe become a mechanic at after a certain number of years, but I've never heard until you said it, I've never heard of continuo education requirements or or offerings to continue to build upon that foundation.
13:52
SPEAKER_01: Is that well, uh we can go back to probably 2000 when the legislation started and really the CT program started almost simultaneously.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, both the CT program and a lot of um legislation where licensing uh was adopted on the state level uh requires some sort of education each year, whether it be code code updates, um uh some technical training.
14:23
SPEAKER_01: There's a list based on the code.
14:26
SPEAKER_01: And a lot of states will just they'll look at it and if they think it has good uh um good education for the elevator industry, then they'll they'll approve it.
14:36
SPEAKER_01: And then if a person takes it in the CET program, it's 10 hours a year of continuing education to keep your certification.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: Uh most states, uh most states require eight hours a year of continuing education uh to keep their license.
14:53
SPEAKER_01: A lot of states require a license every two years, which means you would need 16 hours over a two-year period.
15:00
SPEAKER_01: The thing, the big reason why it's probably an extra two hours on the CT side is because we also have uh safe safety is mandatory as well.
15:10
SPEAKER_00: Gotcha.
15:10
SPEAKER_00: Gotcha.
15:11
SPEAKER_00: And I was familiar with with states, you know, different states having different requirements, but I guess I just wasn't as familiar with the the need to have the continuing education, and that's great.
15:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and and the and I think the cool part of what the Elevated Learning Center is delivering is you do have article-based training.
15:29
SPEAKER_01: Elevator World delivers article-based training.
15:32
SPEAKER_01: Uh, they're one or two hour sessions where you can read an article, take a test, and that's good education as well.
15:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, uh the NAC has uh some webinar, seminar type education.
15:45
SPEAKER_01: We're starting to build some of that.
15:47
SPEAKER_01: Most of what we're doing now is seminar-based and is uh in in-person learning, uh, because most states only only uh accept the in-person learning piece of it.
15:58
SPEAKER_01: Um so uh we're hoping to branch out onto some online.
16:02
SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh that's just delivery methods and building a new LMS system for that to deliver and make sure that it's approved by basically not only the states, but education requirements as well.
16:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh the nice part about continuing education, a nice part about doing it with ELC is uh we capture all your information, your licensing number, everything is in goes in our database.
16:27
SPEAKER_01: And then what we do is we actually chase you down the road.
16:30
SPEAKER_01: So we set up automatic reminders, even reminders.
16:34
SPEAKER_01: So a guy who hadn't hasn't had to renew his license in two years, all of a sudden, you know, 120 days out, 90 days out, he's getting reminders.
16:43
SPEAKER_01: Hey, get your education done, you got to renew.
16:45
SPEAKER_01: Here's your license is gonna expire.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: And then when we send out those notices, you know, it's not just about ELC, it's we actually provide links to every place where they have continued education, whether it be Elevator World, whether it be the NACCT program.
17:02
SPEAKER_01: Uh, wherever, wherever there's approved uh education, we'll also provide links depending on the state, to what the state has accepted.
17:10
SPEAKER_01: Uh so this way everybody has all the information at their fingertip.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: We try and make it as easy as possible for them to renew their license.
17:18
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: So I'm curious, what was some of the opposition that you first, you know, that you encountered as you were trying to create this organization and create this uh elevator learning center?
17:30
SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, not everybody wants you to be successful.
17:34
SPEAKER_01: Um I it goes back to even when I started the CET program.
17:38
SPEAKER_01: Um, as you know, I was very involved in the CET program early in my career when I stepped down as president uh of the NAC and took on the task of building an education program.
17:50
SPEAKER_01: And it really just came down to trying to create, you know, we're we're I I almost hate the term what people say, we're the highest, highest paid blue-collar job in the industry, you know, in all the industries.
18:03
SPEAKER_01: And that's true.
18:04
SPEAKER_01: We we, you know, it's a very, very um lucrative career once you've gone through and you've educated yourself.
18:12
SPEAKER_01: Um but um I'd rather call it a profession.
18:16
SPEAKER_01: Sure.
18:17
SPEAKER_01: You know, and and it's kind of where we want to go.
18:19
SPEAKER_01: We want people to be to be registered, licensed professionals with credentials, and long-term, that's what we really want to see.
18:27
SPEAKER_01: We just want everybody to have some credentials.
18:30
SPEAKER_01: It'll it'll it'll save a lot of lives and it'll keep a lot of people safe and let people go home with their fingers in their toes.
18:38
SPEAKER_01: And and uh that's just the way we feel about it.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: And and hopefully it helps the companies because if you can enhance skill level and then you can enhance process level, uh, more efficient, more uh better skill work, doing it right the first time, minimizing rework, you lower your insurance uh cost, um, there's just so much benefit.
19:01
SPEAKER_01: You know, it the return on investment is is five or sixfold.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: Easily, easily.
19:10
SPEAKER_00: Well, like you say, yeah, if you get your insurance rates down and and uh you know save fingers, toes.
19:16
SPEAKER_01: And you and you bring your jobs in on time.
19:18
SPEAKER_01: You know, don't even agonize over bringing them in early, bring them in on time.
19:22
SPEAKER_01: If you've got all your teams out there and all your repair teams and your your maintenance mechanics, uh troubleshooters fixing it the first time, and your mod teams, the construction teams bringing it in in the time estimated by the sales team, it's it's gold, it's pure gold.
19:39
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's it's the mark of a successful uh company.
19:43
SPEAKER_01: Sure, sure.
19:44
SPEAKER_01: You have well-trained people, right?
19:46
SPEAKER_00: Well, and and have them well trained, have them, you know, obviously there's you know, labor.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, people have been calculating the cost of of turnover for a long time.
19:56
SPEAKER_00: And and you know, that obviously is a huge cost, but so is lack of training and all of the all of the issues that go with that.
20:04
SPEAKER_00: So um, I'm just I'm just kind of thinking in my head, you know, you you mentioned the the five or six fold uh ROI for for having everybody trained, and and I'm just trying to think, you know, it sounds like you you would have a much more effective company if you've got a team that's a been around a while, B, they're all trained, and you know, just could hit the mark, like you say, could bring jobs in on time every time would be phenomenal.
20:32
SPEAKER_01: Well, listen, I don't think any elevator mechanic and helper or uh you know any journeyman out there wants to be late, wants to, wants to fail at anything.
20:43
SPEAKER_01: You know, uh there are some hard to fix problems out there, and there are some jobs where you're trying to engineer something, you know, as we say, 10 pounds of, I'll I'll be nice and say 10 pounds of crud in a five-pound bag, right?
20:57
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
20:57
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, with with new co-compliance and new uh appurtences and new safety code, uh you're constantly adding, and and you don't nobody gives you more room to do that.
21:09
SPEAKER_01: You have an elevator shaft and elevator motor room, and it's existing, and you do the best you can to engineer your way into it.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, they're not all easy, they're not all cookie-cutter.
21:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, so just bringing that job in on time, uh, I think, I think mechanics want to be proud of that.
21:25
SPEAKER_01: I, you know, um, I I know that the uh I shouldn't say kids, but there are kids compared to me, um, that have come up through the CET program and are now mechanics in the field that that we've trained, um, they they wear like a badge of honor that, you know, they're bringing their jobs in on time, they're they're they're proud of their work, um, they're constantly learning in better ways and and taking their time to to do it right the first time.
21:55
SPEAKER_01: Um, that that's that's something you have to teach.
21:58
SPEAKER_01: It's not always.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Doesn't come natural.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: No, and it's uh yeah, it sounds like you're you're empowering uh you know the the people, a lot of people to to kind of take it under you know into their own hands, whereas maybe they couldn't before.
22:13
SPEAKER_00: They were they were kind of waiting on a company.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, it it's always been kind of fractured when you think about it.
22:18
SPEAKER_01: I mean, a lot of companies, they'll uh they'll train a guy to go a certain certain spot.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he'll he'll put in a what we call a group one package, maybe he'll run the wiring, but then some adjuster comes and wires it all up and tunes it all up, and he's on to the next elevator.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: He never really got a chance to learn, you know, the entire thing from start to finish.
22:39
SPEAKER_01: With our program, we teach everything from start to finish.
22:42
SPEAKER_01: It's the full view, it's the full thing.
22:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh, there are there are guys out there for years that just you know stacked rails and maybe put slings and platforms in, and that was the end of their job.
22:53
SPEAKER_01: They moved because they might have had 40 elevators in that building to do or 30 elevators, so just moved from team to team.
22:59
SPEAKER_01: And that was that was the only way to really get it done because they weren't going to make all new mechanics as quick as they needed them.
23:07
SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, they weren't pushed to continue learning the next step and the next step and the next step.
23:14
SPEAKER_01: And a lot of them, unfortunately, you know, they lose time in in the field, you know, because maybe they're on the bench, or maybe, you know, you have a uh a big repair job, but you can't hire a construction guy for that because he just doesn't know enough about repair.
23:27
SPEAKER_01: So what we're trying to do is teach everything the more you know, the more you're worth.
23:33
SPEAKER_01: And that's just the way it is.
23:34
SPEAKER_01: And uh you really um you really can make your mark on the industry and really write your own ticket if you're a skilled uh professional.
23:47
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: So let's say, for example, I'm a you know a frustrated mechanic and just not getting the training I need.
23:53
SPEAKER_00: What what what I need to do to take you know take some classes.
23:59
SPEAKER_01: One of the things we'll do, um uh first thing is reach out to us.
24:04
SPEAKER_01: Uh we can describe the services and what we provide.
24:07
SPEAKER_01: Uh what we like to do, uh depending on where you are in your career, uh, is we do some assessments, some skill assessments, kind of get a measurement.
24:17
SPEAKER_01: Where are you?
24:17
SPEAKER_01: How much learning, how much training do you have?
24:20
SPEAKER_01: And then based on that, we'll make a recommendation of where we think you might want to start.
24:25
SPEAKER_01: Either maybe you want to test out of the first two years, which is possible.
24:29
SPEAKER_01: Um, maybe you want to, maybe you've got a lot of time in and you just never really, you just want to do scrutiny education, or you already have a license and you don't need the CT program.
24:40
SPEAKER_01: So uh we might recommend recommend we have some everything from basic troubleshooting and sequence up to uh, you know, we uh every month we have simulator training, we have manufacturers come in.
24:54
SPEAKER_01: Uh our calendar, um uh uh elevatorlearning center.com has a calendar every month.
25:01
SPEAKER_01: We have at least one or two simulation trainings with the manufacturers, sometimes with us, sometimes with the manufacturers.
25:08
SPEAKER_01: We have all the simulators.
25:10
SPEAKER_01: Uh I think we're up to eight different simulators that we have in the training center.
25:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh Keb Drive just did a class.
25:17
SPEAKER_01: We have another one booked for June.
25:19
SPEAKER_01: Anybody who's interested in learning about Ceb Drive.
25:22
SPEAKER_01: So even if you're a mechanic, there's just something for everybody.
25:25
SPEAKER_01: Sure.
25:26
SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh the services run the gambit.
25:29
SPEAKER_01: If you're if your uh company is willing to reimburse you, then you would pay for the um for the uh for the books and the application fee to join the uh CT program.
25:42
SPEAKER_01: And then there's a uh for us to basically run your program for you, it's about$950 uh per year per head, which is very, very affordable when you think about proctoring tests and uh skill sign offs and in-classroom training and remote training and tutoring and mentoring and everything built in there, it's pretty good.
26:06
SPEAKER_01: And for a mechanic, uh it's I think$399 for the year.
26:12
SPEAKER_01: And what that subscribes you to is all of the Keting education, all the seminars, everything that that we offer is yours to be able to get your cutting education and uh meet your licensing requirements.
26:26
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
26:27
SPEAKER_00: So if, and I'm just curious, if I'm let's say I'm working out of North Carolina and your office and simulators are all in New York, how how can I take advantage of that?
26:35
SPEAKER_00: Do I need to travel to Long Island City?
26:38
SPEAKER_00: And where what's kind of the difference there?
26:40
SPEAKER_01: Well, we do we are opening up some regions.
26:43
SPEAKER_01: We have uh we just had a uh a regional uh simulator training for two days in uh Lexington, Kentucky, uh, one of our uh affiliated companies.
26:53
SPEAKER_01: We're getting ready to do some simulated training down in Tampa and then in Miami.
26:59
SPEAKER_01: Um, so we're trying to take it to where people need it.
27:02
SPEAKER_01: Uh I can't guarantee if it's one or two people that we're gonna show up for you, but if we can get enough people in that area that are looking for that kind of training, we'll bring it to you.
27:12
SPEAKER_01: And and that's kind of the goal.
27:13
SPEAKER_01: And then same thing with CET.
27:16
SPEAKER_01: We had a person in Texas who who wanted to try and help us run their program.
27:20
SPEAKER_01: And we said, listen, if if you if you allow us to run your program and uh you let us run the program for you, and you need a CETS to sign off, we'll fly one out to you and we'll we'll sign off for you.
27:33
SPEAKER_01: We'll do the we'll do everything.
27:35
SPEAKER_01: Everything you need, we'll do it because that's what you're paying for.
27:38
unknown: Cool.
27:38
SPEAKER_00: No, that's great.
27:39
SPEAKER_01: I was just curious how that how that would work because and it sounds like you're yeah, we hope to have we hope to have at least five or six regions covered this year uh with simulated training.
27:50
SPEAKER_01: Um and we're opening up to everyone, not just uh the affiliated companies.
27:55
SPEAKER_01: Affiliated companies is who are going to host it because they have the they have the training, you know, rooms and what have you.
28:03
SPEAKER_01: But it's open to anybody in the area if they want to send mechanics there.
28:07
SPEAKER_01: We'll uh they sign up, subscribe, and not only for the simulator training, but any of the uh they can remote into any of the online instruction.
28:17
SPEAKER_01: Uh we like I say we videotape everything, record everything.
28:21
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then we also, if they want to sign up for one, they can just uh come in remote and uh and get the learning that way.
28:31
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
28:31
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
28:32
SPEAKER_00: So um this is this is great.
28:34
SPEAKER_00: And I appreciate you uh explaining it and kind of for my last question, um, unless unless there's something else you wanted to kind of go into, I think we've we've covered a lot of it.
28:43
SPEAKER_00: Um, but the last question I just wanted to say, you know, let's fast forward five or ten years.
28:47
SPEAKER_00: And what is your vision of the industry?
28:50
SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, assuming that that they take advantage of the elevated learning center and and then that it grows the way that you hope.
28:59
SPEAKER_01: Well, I think uh I think solving the technician shortage, I don't think we're done yet.
29:06
SPEAKER_01: I think it's gonna get worse.
29:08
SPEAKER_01: Um back in 2002, there was a memo put out where they talked about almost a 40% attrition rate, mechanics, mechanics retiring between 2002 and 2012.
29:21
SPEAKER_01: That came to pass.
29:22
SPEAKER_01: Then you add in um the uh, especially in the New York area, you add in the uh the requirements for QEI inspections and what have you, and that kind of pulled a lot of senior technicians away from the daily grind of troubleshooting and fixing and servicing elevators to inspecting elevators.
29:44
SPEAKER_00: Sure.
29:45
SPEAKER_01: Uh, because it has it's it's pretty lucrative too.
29:48
SPEAKER_01: Um, of course, you have to be seasoned for that to happen to get that kind of a gig.
29:53
SPEAKER_01: But uh, but that pulled pulled on it even further.
29:56
SPEAKER_01: And here we are uh 20 years later, and we still have a labor shortage.
30:01
SPEAKER_01: So shame on us, right?
30:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, so we're doing something about it.
30:06
SPEAKER_01: Five years from now, 10 years from now, um, we still may have a labor shortage, you still may not get enough people to to join, but at least the ones that are here and the ones that are uh learning and earning, um they uh they're gonna be good at what they do.
30:24
SPEAKER_01: And I'm hoping eventually to see uh uh accidents down to nothing, safety uh incidents down to nothing.
30:34
SPEAKER_01: That would be a great goal to just eliminate all the, you know, I mean, it is the safest mode of transportation when you think about how many people elevators move in a given day.
30:46
SPEAKER_01: Um I'd love to see it just uh just eliminate this kind of these kinds of tragedies and also uh incidents due to uh you know human error.
30:57
SPEAKER_00: Sure, sure.
30:57
SPEAKER_00: No, that's a it's a beautiful vision.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: And and it sounds like as you take it into to other areas of the country, you're just making it more more available, more uh accessible for for anybody that wants to to get there, learn their profession and and do a great job at it.
31:13
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I don't know of any other, you know, the other industries are probably doing it.
31:18
SPEAKER_01: Some other companies are probably doing it.
31:20
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if they're all open to everybody who wishes to participate, and that's what we're about.
31:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I don't care who learns, as long as they're learning.
31:28
SPEAKER_01: And um the uh the only thing I'll say is the last plug is get on the uh website.
31:34
SPEAKER_01: It's elevatorlearningcenter.com.
31:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh view uh all the different tabs, view the course calendar, a lot of good stuff on there.
31:43
SPEAKER_01: I think it's gonna be updated this week.
31:45
SPEAKER_01: So anybody who sees this um through June, July, August, uh a lot of really good education.
31:51
SPEAKER_01: I I welcome everybody to sign up and uh get involved in it.
31:55
SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
31:56
SPEAKER_00: Elevator Learning Center.com, correct?
31:59
SPEAKER_01: That's correct.
32:00
SPEAKER_00: Bobby, thank you so much.
32:01
SPEAKER_00: It's been a privilege, as always, and I wish you the very best.
32:04
SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for all your help.
32:06
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
32:06
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
32:06
SPEAKER_00: Bye bye.
32:07
SPEAKER_01: Bye-bye.
32:08
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the All Red Group, a leader in elevator industry recruiting.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: You can check us out online at elevatorcareers.net.
32:20
SPEAKER_00: Please subscribe, and until next time, stay safe.