College - Author 1
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Department - Author 1
Construction Management Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Construction Management
Date
3-2021
Primary Advisor/Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Thomas Kommer, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Construction Management Department
Abstract/Summary
The Hispanic population has been increasing in the US over the past twenty years, and made up 42.9% of the construction workforce in 2018 (Data USA, n.d.). Because of this population increase, it’s expected that 1 in 4 persons will be of Hispanic descent by the year 2050 (Canales, 2009). Due to this increase, many language barriers exist that can create serious issues in construction. Language barriers cause productivity to decrease and increase concerns for the workers’ safety. Although OSHA trainings are available in Spanish, the opportunity to take these courses vary from company to company and it is rare to see smaller companies, with a majority Hispanic workforce, utilizing these online courses. To solve this issue, this project teamed up with Redwood Residential Fence Company in Santa Rosa, California, to develop a bilingual training course for laborers and tailored the course with information related to their specialization. A 4-hour course was developed, consisting of four sections which teach basic construction vocabulary and phrases, and one section which goes in depth into OSHA safety trainings. The hope is that after taking this course, this information helps the workers in their daily lives and facilitates communication.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cmsp/443
Poster Board