Most teachers don’t teach for the glory or the prestige. Especially not Ed LePage, a millwright and instrumentation instructor for the Cianbro Institute,
Cianbro Corporation’s in-house education program in Pittsfield, Maine.
“It’s all about the students,” says LePage,
Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) 2009 Craft Instructor of the Year.
“You have to have a mindset that what you’re doing is going to improve the students and help them in their future careers and professional development,” he says. “You take pride in the fact that you had something to do with molding and creating that person’s future.”
LePage says he gains the same enjoyment and satisfaction as a teacher that he did during his years as a project manager on fast-track, multimillion-dollar industrial, nuclear and manufacturing projects around the country.
During his 40-year career at Cianbro, he started as a foreman and worked his way up as an operator, welder, pipefitter, instrument fitter, millwright and eventually project superintendent. For the past 19 years, he’s worn two hats—one as superintendent and one as teacher. Six years ago, he agreed to take on a full-time position to develop an official mechanical training curriculum as a mechanical training coordinator and instructor for the company’s 2,000 employees.
“Cianbro always had a culture of training, but six years ago the company realized the only way to make it better would be to create a more formalized in-house training and craft instruction program,” LePage says. “It’s gone from an as-needed basis to now being part of the culture of training that is necessary for us to grow with the industry.”
Cianbro still calls on LePage’s expertise as an engineering and estimating consultant, but his in-house position means he travels a lot less, and the time saved from being on the road allows him to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to teaching.
Going the Extra MileLePage was selected for the Craft Instructor of the Year award from a field of six finalists who were nominated for possessing outstanding teaching credentials and demonstrating a commitment to preserving the high educational standards of the merit shop construction industry.
Nominated by his Cianbro colleagues, LePage is deeply respected by his students and peers for his ability to explain complex processes in a way they can understand, and he goes out of his way to help them no matter the situation—even if it requires putting in extra hours or a long drive at the end of the day to help a younger craftsman find the solution to a new, challenging problem.
“As a teacher, Ed is 100 percent for his students while maintaining the high standards that have characterized his own work,” says Jonathan Sacks, Cianbro craft training coordinator. “As a person, Ed displays personal attention and is always available to any of his students.”
As a former superintendent, he also runs a highly efficient classroom: “Ed organizes and runs his classes as he does his projects. He plans, schedules and delivers,” Sacks says. “If one approach does not work with a student, he will try another. He is tireless and will not give up. Ed wants his students to be the best; his combination of sheer brilliance coupled with sincere care for individuals and the willingness to work harder than anyone else is what puts him over the top.”
LePage’s qualities—patience and genuine caring for people—almost led him to a career in teaching at a younger age. But construction seemed a more lucrative choice, and now he is happy to bring his career path full circle by combining his two passions.
“Toward the end of my career, I have the opportunity to do what I really enjoy most,” he says.
LePage brings his field experience to the classroom, especially in terms of fabrication. His classes often incorporate simulators or sample machinery, such as a conveyor belt, which are built onsite by Cianbro’s millwrights and instrumentation experts. These hands-on lessons pique the students’ interest and provide the kind of personal attention LePage wishes he’d received when he entered the field.
“I didn’t have any formal training; I had to learn it all on my own,” he says. “Someone wasn’t always there to step up and show me the ropes. I had to struggle and figure things out along the way.”
Always the mark of a good teacher, LePage wants to make sure his students are prepared for their career journey ahead.
“I want to make it as easy as I possibly can for these students. I want them to have someone they can always go to,” he says.
Preparing Future Leaders
LePage’s influence on his students is evidenced by the fact that many of them go on to volunteer to become instructors, bringing their own ideas for improving and building future courses.
“These people are gaining longevity with Cianbro, which is great for our company,” LePage says.
Although the company’s training programs have downsized slightly due to the economy, Cianbro is still dedicating significant support to craft education to prepare for an inevitable upswing in project volume and the need for skilled workers.
“Companies that want to be at the forefront have to value training and have to invest during the downturn to be ready for the upturn,” LePage explains. “If we don’t, we’ll be in the same boat we were two years ago when we couldn’t find enough people to take the jobs or start the training.”
Supporting training initiatives beyond his own company, LePage volunteers his time for the ABC Maine Craft Championships and serves on the ABC National Craft Championships Committee and the Eastern Maine Community College advisory board. In addition, he collaborates with the
National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) to design its millwright, pipefitter, boilermaker and industrial maintenance curriculum.
For all these achievements, LePage proudly took home not only the title of Craft Instructor of the Year, but also a cash prize from ABC’s Trimmer Education Foundation and a leather jacket and notebook computer from the NCCER.