Some career advice????

[Rx2]

Hey peeps. I am the owner of a maintenance company based in south. However, we have slowly been getting into alot of construction jobs and requests, an area that im not too familiar with. I have gotten a few jobs which i have subcontracted to other contractors and these have turned out well. My question is, what sort of short courses are offered out there that can help me gain a better understanding of this field. I say "short courses" bc with the nature of our work, i dont have the time to undertake a full time program of study. The courses that i checked out at nesc and such are 2 yr full time programs which will not cut it for me. I am leaning towards PMP but advice would be appreciated.

[Halfbreed07]

Bsc. in Construction Project Management, from Heriot-Watt university, offered at the school of higher education in sando. part time, 2 yrs, will cost ya bout 50k, but worth it.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=413999&hilit=Construction+Project+Management

[D-cups]

So as the owner of a maintenance company, you agree to provide services to your customers and then contract out those services to others? I like your thinking....

[Rx2]

Halfbreed. Thanks. Will chk it out.... D. Cups. I only subcontract out the construction aspect to professionals bc i dont have the experience. That will come with time though.

[airuma]

Halfbreed. Thanks. Will chk it out.... D. Cups. I only subcontract out the construction aspect to professionals bc i dont have the experience. That will come with time though.

My advice would be to learn a thing or two about Project Management at a local tertiary education institute. This cannot be done in a crash course so no "PMI PMP" or the likes, these things are good to know but won't really help you much. You really need to learn the concepts and then learn to apply them. It can be applied to ALL projects without knowing the inner workings of the execution of the work. So having a maintenance company this would be beneficial to you even if you don't branch off into construction. The other thing is going the way of a foreign university you run the risk of learning concepts that can apply and would work in a foreign environment and is also dependent on the foreign countries infrastructure and legal framework. You will then be faced with the challenge of modifying what you learned to apply to our local environment and at the same time not being able to apply exactly what you learned, in my opinion you will be trying to swim in quicksand! This foreign university approach may be suitable for someone trying to make themselves more marketable for employment esp. with international companies. Hope I helped!

[thetriniman]

Cheetahlearning.com

[kaylex]

So as the owner of a maintenance company, you agree to provide services to your customers and then contract out those services to others? I like your thinking....

I feel somebody like this was responsible for the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba... lmao

[ilikedesifem]

Eh?

What kind of maintenance? Get a degree in Engineering. I'm sure UWI, SBCS or whoever do short courses in engineering.

[black start]

So as the owner of a maintenance company, you agree to provide services to your customers and then contract out those services to others? I like your thinking....

business is business

[Rx2]

As black start said, business is business. The thing is, i would like to have some knowledge in the field of construction and managing projects bc eventually, i'd like to go it alone. Experience will come with time

[Rory Phoulorie]

Why is everyone coming down on the man about subcontracting? And yet these same people telling him to go do project management? Do any one you know what a Management Contractor does?

Do you think "project managers" do anything? They don't do anything but delegate tasks to competent people. Oh yes, "project managers" also prepare pretty coloured charts better than anyone else.

OP, if you don't have the time to do a full-time degree at UWI, try and make the sacrifice and do the Technician's Diploma course at UTT. You will learn some practical things which you can apply to your business. Nothing is wrong with subcontracting as long as you subcontract the work to competent people and price for it. But nothing is also wrong to develop better controls by bringing everything under your own organisation.

[Rx2]

Thank you rory. I will check it out.

[airuma]

Why is everyone coming down on the man about subcontracting? And yet these same people telling him to go do project management? Do any one you know what a Management Contractor does?

Do you think "project managers" do anything? They don't do anything but delegate tasks to competent people. Oh yes, "project managers" also prepare pretty coloured charts better than anyone else.

OP, if you don't have the time to do a full-time degree at UWI, try and make the sacrifice and do the Technician's Diploma course at UTT. You will learn some practical things which you can apply to your business. Nothing is wrong with subcontracting as long as you subcontract the work to competent people and price for it. But nothing is also wrong to develop better controls by bringing everything under your own organisation.

Imagine UWI and Arthur Lok Jack have Masters programes to teach people how to not do anything but delegate task!! What's even worse is that there are over 50 INTERNATIONAL project management associations who see the need for these people to do nothing but delegate tasks!! And what's amazing is that Project Managers don't delegate tasks, that's the job of Supervisors or Foremen. In fact, project management is about implementing and developing controls, which nothing is wrong with according to Rory Phoulorie. Boy some people will always propagate foolishness with the foolish statements they make. It's quite obvious that Rory Phoulorie knows little or nothing about Management furthermore Project Management and I believe it's very unethical to give strong opinions on things that you know little or nothing about. And for you Rx2, you should not be looking for a short course to learn something that there has been quite alot of development in (construction). I believe we in Trinidad should be looking to progress, not live in the dark ages like my friend Rory Phoulorie would have us do. If you are looking for short courses you may just end up like the contractor/s who attempted the Brian Lara Stadium. It's best you do some research, looks like you ain't getting good advice here so far!

[rfari]

Nah man rory. U joking ent?

[greenlime100]

For any kind of maintenance or project management oriented career Ill advise to do a short course in Project Management, I did a course in Roytec really helps with managing multiple operations and is applicable across the board.

[De Dragon]

For any kind of maintenance or project management oriented career Ill advise to do a short course in Project Management, I did a course in Roytec really helps with managing multiple operations and is applicable across the board.

In before pios

[STORM1234]

you have no experience in construction? then how were you awarded these contracts in the first place?

[nemisis]

^^^ bobol?

[STORM1234]

corruption/collusion ftw!

[airuma]

corruption/collusion ftw!

Corruption maybe, Collusion I doubt. Why he ain't share some wok with some tuners? Look like is some good money passing dey too, hence the rush!

[Rx2]

Airuma, lost to all. I woudnt even begin to justify to u based on those idiotic "assumptions". How cud u say something like money passing and u dont even know me. You must have nice court clothes? As i stated, we do maintenance and construction Is another aspect that we are getting into. Its sad when ppl take an issue and turn it into something totally different to justify their beliefs

[brams112]

Simple maths op,dont get into something you know nothing about,espically construction,plenty smart men out here who digging out homeowners eyes.If you can link up with a honest builder then you may stand a chance,lots to learn in construction.

[RBphoto]

Yuh hiring part time there bhai?

[airuma]

Airuma, lost to all. I woudnt even begin to justify to u based on those idiotic "assumptions". How cud u say something like money passing and u dont even know me. You must have nice court clothes? As i stated, we do maintenance and construction Is another aspect that we are getting into. Its sad when ppl take an issue and turn it into something totally different to justify their beliefs

Ooch, like ah hit a nerve dey! No offense but I'm just making a logical deduction. Why would someone want to go into construction so badly and so quickly and at the same time confess that they know nothing about it. If this makes sense for any other reason than financial ones then please enlighten me! If you read the news, you would know that alot of contractors are owed money by the government but yet you have a perception that this is a lucrative business. From the little you have said so far, I can also deduce that you are very young in the maintenance business and I would suggest that you explore your full potential there first before venturing into something new, unless if the maintenance business not working out for you.

[RBphoto]

^^^ Money and opportunity

[DionYorker]

your already doing well by hiring...just look for a competent accounts person and a mature manager. Your role should just be to deligate and control ( manage) simply put the chefs are not the owners of the restautrant...just hire the right ppl put regulations in place and MANAGE the works...no real brains needed there....er look at any major conglomerate or firm....PLAX

[DionYorker]

oh btw fellas like airuma probably still in form 1 or in URP so doh study them....keep cool dred and if yuh really want a course i would look at management..not necessarily project.....Is a leader the company needs really......not a supervisor...PLAX

[RBphoto]

I do my PMP.... nobody want to hire me

[Rx2]

Thanks for the positive responses so far and airuma, i do aplogise for my outburst. With every successful business, you have to start somewhere and that already happened with my maintenance business. Now its time to branch out into other things that can enhance my company's growth

[Rory Phoulorie]

I do my PMP.... nobody want to hire me

Go learn "Dress Making and Sewing" in one of those evening courses, you will be hired in an instant. I am serious.

Everyone is getting PMP certified, yet hardly anyone understands how to apply the principles. That is what you end up with when you get certified based solely on a multiple choice examination. The M.Sc. certified project managers are a bit better than the PMP certified only people.

They think their project management practices can make anything happen without understanding, or completely forgetting, the intricacies of contract administration or core engineering principles. This is similar to the HS&E personnel. They want to apply all these theoretical controls without understanding the principles of the operation being carried out.

Another funny thing is when they present their Gantt charts to me without knowing how to set up a Gantt chart properly. Knowing how to use the software (MS Project, Primavera, Pertmaster, etc.) and knowing how to prepare a Gantt chart are two completely different things. When they take risk into account in the programming, do they understand what type of risk distribution to use so you get a sensible analysis? Not really from my experience.

But they are very good with the pretty coloured charts. Give Jack his jacket.

But as someone said before, I seem to know nothing about project management even though I have interacted with project managers from MOW&I, eTecK, NIDCO, bpTT, NGC, EFCL, HDC, etc. So carry on.