Lester shares tactics to retain employees at industry conference

An interactive workshop conceived and co-presented by Ellyn A. Lester, Pennsylvania College of Technology’s assistant dean of construction and architecture, drew a standing-room only crowd of industry leaders at the Construction Management Association of America’s annual convention, held Oct. 27-29 in San Francisco.

Titled “Identifying Ideation Techniques to Increase Retention via Formal Mentoring Initiatives: What You Need to Know,” the workshop presented tactics to help construction management professionals overcome workforce shortages and retain employees.

The session addressed key elements affecting a continued lack of interest among recent graduates and minorities in the profession and introduced several strategies to correct that situation by implementing formal mentoring programs.

Lester has conducted extensive research on mentorship in the architectural, engineering and construction industry, including her doctoral dissertation: “An Exploration of Mentorship as a Resource for Knowledge Sharing in the Built Environment.”

A subject-matter expert on the topic, she has completed more than 20 presentations and invited lectures on mentorship for groups that include the International Council for Research & Innovation in Building and Construction; the Association of Researchers in Construction Management; the European Conference on Knowledge Management; the International Conference on Construction Futures; The Association for the Capital Projects Engineering & Construction Industry; University of Strathclyde, in Scotland; and American Institute of Architects.

Her work on the topic has been published in the American Journal of Management, IOP Conference Series, the 2020 International Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital Excellence Awards Book, and the Psychology in Construction International Conference proceedings, among others.

Lester found a dearth of study on mentorship in the built environment industry (those who design, build and maintain structures), with a particular lack of research focusing on the perspective of mentors or on mentorship as a process for sharing knowledge.

She writes that, while the built environment represents 5.03% of total employment in the United States, the industry faces workforce challenges: Foremost among them is the loss of knowledge as experienced professionals retire. Mentorship is a potential response to those challenges.

“Because knowledge sharing is critical to business continuity and competitiveness, and demographic trends point to plummeting levels of trust in the workplace, mentorship and knowledge sharing are becoming even more critical,” Lester wrote.

Her session at CMAA24 helped construction-industry leaders to consider how they can entice important employees to remain by implementing inclusive knowledge-sharing techniques.

Co-presenting with Lester were Raoul Ilaw, vice president & senior program manager, STV PM/CM; Natalie Salinas, founder & CEO, Nth Consulting Group; and Heather Shin, vice president of Business Operations and Acquisition Integration at Parsons Corp.

During the 2023 CMAA conference, Lester was the lead speaker on a panel discussing “Impactful Solutions to Overcome Workforce Shortages.” During that session, Lester highlighted Penn College’s proposed Industry Leaders Mentoring Program, devised to support the social mobility of diverse, high-achieving, low-income students who are interested in the profession. She discussed how mentors help students develop resilience and encourage diversity throughout the industry.

Lester holds a doctorate in the built environment from the University of Salford (England). She holds a master’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, both from the University of Kansas.

Before joining the administration at Penn College, she was director of built environment programs at Stevens Institute of Technology and director of career services and adjunct faculty at NewSchool of Architecture and Design. She established NovaConnect Inc., a national consulting firm, was vice president of architecture for MBA Management Inc., was vice president of membership and marketing for the Design-Build Institute of America, and was director of business development for WRS Architects Inc.

She has received the National Association of Women in Construction Educational Foundation’s 2020 Carol A Kueker Construction Education Visionary Award, the 2012 American Institute of Architects California Council Associate of the Year, Design-Build Institute of America Chapter of the Year in 2003, the Society for Marketing Professionals Striving for Excellence Grand Prize in 2001, and was listed as one of Construction Dive’s Construction Champions of 2024.

Lester has put her ideas about mentorship into practice at Penn College as an assistant dean and in past roles as a co-adviser of the college’s former Women in Construction student organization and vice program coordinator for the former ELEVATE: Empowering Women Through Mentorship Committee.

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