Michael Browning

Michael Browning knows how critical it is to have a strong, continuous pipeline of workforce candidates to make Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center expansion projects a reality. And a big part of that pipeline comes from Building Value.

Working with a group of contractors focused on increasing diversity like Messer Construction, Nelson Stark, Archiable Electric, PHB, Valley Interiors, O’Rourke Wrecking and others, Children’s has benefitted from the quality workers who are trained through the Building Value model.

In 2016, Building Value began helping  with the Children’s Critical Care building, first by providing demolition services through Messer and then a few years later with construction support. This was the largest construction project in Cincinnati at the time and the impact on the community is still being felt years later.

“We wanted to create meaningful, long-term jobs that would not only help us reach our immediate goals but would impact the community for years to come,” said Browning.

Browning says he’s been impressed with the candidate preparation process that Building Value offers. He calls the first phase, “work hardening,” and says it’s all about the basics. Teaching individuals the importance of safety, how to handle tools, and even just arriving on time are essentials to preparing someone for a career in construction.

“By the time they reach our projects,” Browning says, “they’re work-ready!”

He also appreciates Building Value’s mission of reclaiming and reusing whenever possible, citing materials that were salvaged during demolition of the structures that paved the way for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House to be built.

With an aging population of skilled workers, Browning says building a quality workforce pipeline is even more crucial and the Building Value program certainly fills that void.