CSI Creates Young Professionals Group
14 May, 2008First Emerging Professionals event to take place during CSI's annual convention.
The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) today announced it is creating a new group to support young professionals in the design and construction industry. CSI's Emerging Professionals group will provide recent college graduates and new professionals with networking, mentoring, and leadership development opportunities.
"This segment of the industry largely has been overlooked in the past," said CSI Executive Director and CEO Walter Marlowe. "We are reaching out to young professionals to help them connect with their colleagues, discuss issues, and explore how CSI can help them advance in their careers."
In March, CSI assembled an advisory task team of professionals to guide the development of the Emerging Professionals group.
"Often, young professionals do not have the flexibility to travel, take time off work, or get their employers to pay for conference expenses," said Marlowe. "This group will look for creative ways to get them involved in the industry and CSI."
The new group will provide benefits to young professionals and also to CSI's long-time members. "Mentors often provide guidance in developing skills and gaining technical knowledge," Marlowe added. "At the same time, these young professionals will be able to teach their mentors and others about current technologies and how to integrate them into practical applications."
The group's first event is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m., during the CSI Annual Convention in Las Vegas, held in conjunction with CONSTRUCT2008. This "meet-and-greet" will take place at the CSI Leader Lounge. Register now for CONSTRUCT2008 and the CSI Annual Convention.
To help support this new group, CSI recently created an online forum for users to discuss issues and share ideas.
About CSI
CSI is a national association dedicated to creating standards and formats to improve construction documents and project delivery. The organization's members are specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, and building materials suppliers. The organization has 146 chapters and nearly 15,000 members.
