Turner School of Construction Management Begins in Greater Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Turner Construction Company announces its largest program in the area to date. The 2015 Turner School of Construction Management will be hosted by the D.C. Small Business Development Center at Howard University. Turner developed an eight-week curriculum to provide management training and certification to potential subcontractors. Beginning on March 25 and running through May 13, the Turner School will provide educational opportunities to over 150 companies in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

Since 1969, the Turner School of Construction Management has strived to expand the opportunities available to growing businesses. Turner is partnering with the D.C. Small Business Development Center—a collaborative initiative of Howard University, the Small Business Administration and District of Columbia small business community stakeholders—to increase the prospects of growth for small, local contractors by teaching them how to successfully bid, propose to and work with a company the size of Turner. The hope is for the TSCM to better prepare the subcontractor market to win and conduct work in the Washington, D.C. area.

With that goal in mind, each course of the program is taught by Turner staff and select industry partners who have spent years in the field and are regarded as subject-matter experts. This year’s topics include field operations, accounting and banking, construction estimating, safety and sales and marketing. Since its inception, the program has helped attendees build networks, form long-term business relationships and establish successful joint ventures to win contracts with Turner and other industry leaders. The D.C. Small Business Development Center Network will continue to provide no-cost technical assistance to the attendees. “The Turner School provides us with a great opportunity to partner with clients and industry professionals to continue to grow the capacity of our emerging and minority owned businesses,” said Ken Jones, vice president and general manager of Turner Construction Company.

Turner has awarded more than $1 billion in contracts a year to minority-owned businesses for the past 10 years running and awarded over $1 billion to MBE contractors in 2012. Many graduates of the Turner School of Construction Management become eligible for and perform work on Turner projects and joint-ventures. Last year, the SBDC provided training and resources to over 400 small businesses throughout the city with recent clients receiving almost $4 million in capital formation. With collaborations like that with the Turner School of Construction Management, the organization hopes to increase its positive impact on our local economy.

Turner established TSCM to effectively give back to the community through the sharing of knowledge, promoting the empowerment of small businesses in the construction arena. Turner has previously held TSCM programs in Prince Georges County, Md.; Richmond, Va; and Washington, D.C. regionally, as well as many more across the nation. The 2015 TSCM graduation will be held on May 13.

To register for the 2015 Turner School of Construction Management, visit turnerschool.eventbrite.com. Registration ends April 1.