Upcoming Education Events

Crowd listening to lecture

By offering classroom education and online classes, SMACNA Greater Chicago keeps their contractor members on top of all they need to know to thrive in the industry. A list of classroom opportunities is available on the SMACNA Greater Chicago calendar. We are continually adding educational opportunities in a variety of formats including industry related workshops and lunch and learns, so check back often so you don’t miss an added update.

Tuesday Nov 5 Register Online
Class PART 1: OUTLOOK RULES

This class will focus on organizing Outlook and becoming a power user.
• Learn how to make your searches more efficient
• Categorize your emails, appointments and tasks by grouping these activities together under one thread
• Link your email with your calendar to turn emails into appointments
• Use OneNote to assist with notetaking
• Create a reminder for email recipients

Thursday Nov 7 Register Online
Workshop Contracts, Claims and Documentation

This workshop is designed for all project managers and assistant project managers looking to learn more about key contractual concerns and best practices in project documentation for change orders and claims.

Thursday Nov 7 Register Online
Workshop Turnover, Kickoff and Pre-Construction Meetings

Every successful project starts with a successful turnover/kickoff meeting followed by an effective pre-construction planning meeting. A must for project managers, assistant project managers and foremen, this session will cover the importance of holding these meetings for every project regardless of its size.

Thursday Nov 14 Register Online
Workshop Leadership Without Limits: Core Communications

This session is best for those who want to build collaborative relationships and exemplify trust and respect, including new managers, supervisors and new hires who want to work confidently with others.

Tuesday Nov 19 Register Online
Class PART 2: OUTLOOK RULES

How often have you discovered that only the first line of your email was read? Make your communications more effective with organizational tips. In addition, you’ll learn built-in formatting features shared by Outlook and Word.

Tuesday Dec 10 Register Online
Class PART 1: WORD DOCUMENT BUILDING TOOLS

Word has so many great tools for making document preparation an easy task, but many of the tools need a quick explanation. By the end of this class, you will know many shortcuts to correctly format your documents.

Thursday Dec 12 Register Online
Workshop Leadership Without Limits: Essentials of Leadership

This session was designed specifically for newly promoted and frontline supervisors, to help strengthen their leadership abilities and improve communication and interaction with their teams.

Tuesday Dec 17 Register Online
Class PART 2: WORD DOCUMENT BUILDING TOOLS

After learning how to format a document, we will examine documents that are hard to revise because they weren’t built correctly. We’ll fix broken documents by applying the concepts taught in Part 1.

Tuesday Jan 7 Register Online
Class PART 1: EXCEL: FIXING BROKEN DATA LISTS

Excel isn’t just about calculations; it also does a great job of managing data. A data list is any series of information that is used to track activity. Keeping track of orders, deliveries or payments are common data lists. This class will examine the common mistakes made in tracking information. By learning the rules on how to create a list, you can maximize your resulting reports.

Tuesday Jan 14 Register Online
Class PART 2: EXCEL: FIXING BROKEN DATA LISTS

This class will continue to expand on what we learned in Part 1. We will learn shortcuts to cleaning up data lists that aren’t layed out correctly. Rather than retyping the list to create good reports, you will learn the built-in tools to automatically adjust the layout.

Thursday Jan 16 Register Online
Workshop Leadership Without Limits: Coaching and Counseling

This intensive workshop provides a series of activities, interactive exercises, role plays and case studies. It will help develop the confidence and experience necessary to coach your entire team toward improved performance and productivity!

Thursday Jan 23 Register Online
Workshop Embracing the Power of Generational Communication

Communication is truly the heartbeat of success. Every interaction, every exchange of ideas, brings us closer to our goals and strengthens our bonds as a team. We’re not just colleagues—we’re collaborators, cheerleaders and partners in progress.