Registration is open for the third cohort of the Construction Leadership Academy, a management training program for new or emerging leaders within the construction trades.
The skills-development opportunity is offered by the NEW Construction Alliance in partnership with the business & industry services department of Fox Valley Technical College.
An 18-hour, in-depth curriculum delivered in-person over seven weeks, the training is specific to first-time or new supervisors engaged within the commercial construction industry. The program is organized around themes of managing self, a team, the work, and processes/systems.
Expected outcomes for participants in the Construction Leadership Academy include an understanding of the skills, behaviors and attitudes needed for effective leadership in a commercial construction environment; acquisition of the tools for connecting and engaging teams and individual team members; an understanding of the psychology of employee engagement and satisfaction; skills for analyzing employee developmental needs and the ability to customize an approach for improving employee performance; the communication skills needed to coach, provide feedback, initiate change and manage conflict; and the development of skills used to create high-performing teams.
A link to register for the Construction Leadership Academy is at https://t.ly/constructionleadershipacademy. A detailed, session-by-session listing of the curriculum also is available on the page.
“Past participants in the Construction Leadership Academy, along with their supervisors, have shared how impactful the curriculum has been in their professional development,” says Jason Mathwig, industry alliance director for New North Inc. “The practical takeaways they receive greatly benefit their everyday work, especially as they take on additional responsibility within their commercial construction firm. The program also gives them the opportunity to interact with those in the industry in a consequential way.”
Three 30-minute informational sessions are being held virtually for those interested in learning more about the program and to have their questions answered. The dates for these discussions are Nov. 10 from 4:30-5 p.m., Dec. 10 from 8-8:30 a.m., and Jan. 8, 2026, from 12-12:30 p.m. Each session has an individual registration link on the Construction Leadership Academy website.
The third cohort of the Construction Leadership Academy will run on six Thursdays over a seven-week period from 7-10 a.m., beginning Jan. 29 through March 12 (there is no session Feb. 26). All sessions will be held at FVTC’s D.J. Bordini Center, and the cohort will be limited to 20 participants.
Judy Ruhl, a trainer/consultant with the Management Development Department at Fox Valley Technical College, will lead the sessions.
A management support session with specific content designed for the managers of Construction Leadership Academy participants is available on three 2026 dates: Jan. 21 from 8-10 a.m., Jan. 22 from 12-2 p.m., and Jan. 26 from 3-5 p.m.
Participants who complete the curriculum will receive one associate degree credit and have the potential to earn advanced standing in the three-credit Supervision course.
Those with additional questions on the Construction Leadership Academy can reach Mathwig by email at contact@newconstructionalliance.org.
