Nominee
Integrated Learning Center by Fox Blocks - English and Spanish
Category
Innovative Product or Service
Description
Fox Blocks by Airlite Plastics Co. continues to advance the Insulated Concrete Forms Industry by providing leading-edge services and programs. In 2019 the team led by Mike Kennaw, V.P., and GM saw a need to advance ICF installer training by moving to develop a comprehensive training program for all levels of contractors. With collective foresight, a team of experienced Fox Blocks members developed and launched the Integrated Learning Center (ILC) for Installer Training programs. In October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILC provided access to the free, self-paced online training program through the Fox Blocks website. This allowed contractors, builders, architects, engineers, developers, and homeowners to learn more about Insulated Concrete Forms, the benefits of ICFs, and how to install them correctly and efficiently. This was groundbreaking! The ILC site has four levels of program for training, with an in-depth curriculum, accompanying detailed Workbooks, access to an application video library, and references to hundreds of documents in the Fox Blocks Technical Resource Library. Successful completion of the training, after a quiz, provides the user with a Certificate and Wallet Card certifying completion of the course. Once the ILC launched, we immediately saw the number of certified Primary Installers grow month over month, and they continue to do so to this day. Our vision to expand the level of expertise for ICF installers identified the need to translate the training into Spanish, creating a link to a complete Spanish Primary Installer Course and a Spanish ILC website- Centro de Aprendizaje de Fox Blocks. As per our dealer base, ILC developed a Product Knowledge training session to enhance the sales aspect for ICFs and concrete homes. In addition, some building associations have recognized the ILC training to provide learning unit credits to contractors. Ongoing development of the ILC training will focus on ICF design for high-performance buildings, commercial applications, resiliency, and sustainability, to expand the ICF and concrete markets.
Evidence
The concern across the country is the availability of skilled or trained contractors. Training is the key to advancing the ICF and concrete markets with installers with the knowledge and understanding to build with ICFs and concrete successfully. Over the years, ICFs have been used by contractors who may have been self-taught or taken an on-site or classroom training session. Because the products, applications, and code standards have progressed over the years, Fox Blocks required all past, current, and potentially new installers to take the new Integrated Learning Center training courses and register for the Wallet Card program as a certified Fox Blocks installer. Since the Integrated Learning Center launch in October 2020, we have trained 2,013 Installers in the United States and Canada. Our dealer network is also utilizing the ILC site to train sales staff. Our Spanish ILC, Launched in December 2022, has developed a compelling interest and is generating good numbers from Spanish-speaking contracting crews. As building associations across the country require their contractor base to log learning credits, Fox Blocks has submitted for approval the comprehensive six-hour ILC Primary installer training course to be recognized for six learning credits. The availability of this extensive ICF installation and knowledge-based training, as either live classroom or self-paced online, utilizing the experience of the Fox Blocks, is a game changer for the ICF and concrete industry. Developing new contractors and the recognition of trained ICF installers, with certificates and wallet cards, builds reassurance to the design and construction marketplace.
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