Month: April 2023

Originally Published on ForConstructionPros.com

Safety and efficiency have significant impact on employees’ and customers’ experience. Being 5S certified is one way to signal to rental customers that your company is committed to operational efficiency and their well-being.

The efficiency and safety of rental providers matter customers. These factors have significant impact on their experience, affecting the condition of the equipment they rent and perhaps even the price customers pay. Being 5S certified is one way to signal to rental customers that your company is committed to operational efficiency and their well-being.   

5S at United Rentals

At United Rentals, 5S is not a one-time activity to clean the shop. It is a component of the company’s “safety first and always” culture, which is instilled in every employee.

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The 8th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report” from Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) shares recent survey findings from manufacturers worldwide. Survey results from the 7th annual report indicated the driving factors for pursuing sustainability and (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ESG policies were fostering a collaborative environment and addressing social inequalities. This year, the top reason cited was to improve efficiencies, a trend which suggests sustainability is now recognized for its operational improvement capabilities and impact on the bottom line along with the positive social impact.

The drive to maintain quality surfaced when participants were asked about sustainability and ESG. Product quality or safety is the most important element in ESG and sustainability programs, followed by reducing manufacturing waste and recycling. Responses revealed the growing attention on the circular economy, which is based on eliminating waste and pollution by designing products and processes to maximize efficiencies and extend product life with a particular focus on repair and reuse.

In general, the survey’s results reveal a focus on an increasing adoption of technology to build resilience, enable agility, increase sustainability, and address workforce challenges.

Download the full report to learn how leading manufacturers are harnessing technology to improve quality and sustainability. View the on-demand webinar, Mainstream Sustainability: Meet Consumer & Regulator Demand, to see what priorities are driving ESG and sustainability strategies around the globe. Note: Upon registration, you will receive an email with a link that will take you to the pre-recorded, 1-hour webinar.

Report Methodology 
The 8th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report” analyzed feedback from 1,353 respondents from 13 of the top manufacturing countries with roles from management up to the C-suite and was conducted in association with Sapio Research and Rockwell Automation. The survey covered discrete, process, and hybrid industries across a balanced distribution of company sizes with revenues spanning $10 million to over $10 billion, providing a wide breadth of manufacturing business perspectives.

Danielle Boyer wants every kid to have a safe space to learn science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) skills. The kind of fun, inclusive space she never had. That’s why this robotics inventor and youth advocate founded The STEAM Connection. Danielle is an Indigenous (Ojibwe) and Queer woman and is this month’s Logitech MX #WomenWhoMaster feature. She shared what led her to launch her nonprofit, who inspires her, and why uplifting Indigenous communities is important to her.

Q: When did you first get into robotics?

I was homeschooled for most of my life. Then when I got to high school, I joined a robotics club. It was a really big deal because it cost hundreds to participate. I was so excited but it was a difficult time. I was the only girl and was not treated well. A lot of the guys bullied me. I was stalked with drones and harassed a lot. It was really discouraging because I just wanted to learn about robots. I ended up quitting the team.

My experience prompted me to start my own charity, The STEAM Connection, because no kid deserves to have a space where they don’t feel safe learning, especially young girls.

Q: What is The STEAM Connection?

The STEAM Connection is a nonprofit that works to increase technical education accessibility for Indigenous students. There are a lot of large accessibility gaps within STEM, especially for Native students. Specifically lack of internet access and lack of representation — there is less than half a percent of Native people in engineering. We create safe learning spaces for students to learn STEM skills. Over four years we have given more than 600,000 kids free technical learning resources.

Q: What are the top STEM skills the next generation should learn?

Coding, 3D design, and electrical engineering are the most important skills. Base-level skills in artificial intelligence and augmented reality are also important. Those are all things that we teach with the robots and we have even implemented a new augmented reality curriculum. Also, our new robots work on artificial intelligence and internal base systems that work without Wi-Fi, because that’s a huge accessibility gap for many of our communities.

Q: The EKGAR robot is a big part of The STEAM Connection. What does EKGAR stand for?

I created EKGAR when I was 18 years old. The name stands for Every Kid Gets a Robot. It’s a free robotics kit that’s made out of recycled plastic and has gone to over 8,000 kids. It’s like a little remote-controlled car that students build, wire, and code themselves. I created EKGAR for $18.95 because I was seeing robots cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars and I was like, “There has to be something better out there.”

Q: What other robots have you built?

We have a lot of different creations, but my favorite is the SkoBot, an Indigenous language learning robot. It’s the first cultural robot ever created. It’s wearable and teaches Indigenous languages. Kids can customize SkoBot too. In our communities, we have different regalia or cultural clothes. Students are able to decorate the robot with their regalia. It’s really exciting to see the kids relate so much to the robots.

A lot of the work that we’ve done at The STEAM Connection surrounds cultural and language preservation. My language, Ojibwemowin, is endangered.

“Creating resources to uplift students in a way that they relate to — whether it’s having role models in STEM who are Native or providing classes, resources, or robots that resonate with kids — matters a lot to me.”

Q: What have been some student reactions to your robots or The STEAM Connection that have meant the most to you?

One student said I was the first Native woman who builds robots that she’s ever met and that it made her want to do it too. That was a huge encouragement to me to keep doing what I do.

I’ve experienced a lot of racism and harm in STEM spaces, and it can be very discouraging. Hearing from my students pushes me to keep going. I appreciate comparing where students today are to where I was at their age. It’s exciting to see kids today as leaders and creating really cool things because

“Indigenous peoples were always scientists and innovators but a lot of that was taken from us because of colonization.”

So now being able to decolonize modern STEM spaces and create safe learning environments to reinvest in skills that we’ve always had, is really important. And seeing the kids thrive in that makes me so excited for the future.

Q: While you were launching The STEAM Connection, who were the mentors who helped you and gave you advice?

Even though my mother and grandmother are not really technical people, they helped me the most. My grandma inspired me to create my work. She always calls me and sends me encouraging messages. She also reminds me to be myself, a good role model, and a good relative.

My mom says to pour into others, you have to pour into yourself first. Investing in yourself, investing in self-care, and taking care of your mental health is the foundation to uplift other people.

Q: How do you bring your whole self to work?

By working with students and people who have the same background and share my experiences. Not having to explain myself or talk about difficult things I’ve experienced is really important. In many spaces, I have to teach people or advocate for myself and my community. When I work with other Native people, I don’t have to do that. I can just be myself and I love that so much.

Q: Where do you hope the industry goes in the coming decade?

I want to see more accessible routes toward academia and STEM careers for everyone, safe spaces to work in, and more leaders who are minorities at major tech companies. There are so many early barriers to entry in STEM, it’s difficult to even get to the spot where a good university is a choice. Then when students get into STEM careers, it’s not a safe space.

“I also want to see the knowledge of people outside of traditional academia respected. A lot of our knowledge comes from elders. But in academia, people don’t take that seriously.”

They don’t see it as a verifiable source for papers or studies. There’s a huge disconnect between Indigenous knowledge and ways of relating to the world and spaces in academia or tech.

Connect with Danielle on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Learn more about her work on her own website or at The STEAM Connection.

Women Who Master puts a spotlight on women who have made outstanding contributions to STEM fields. The goal of the series is to celebrate those contributions, inspire future leaders, and help close the gender gap in technology.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., April 19 2023 /3BL Media/ — Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, today announced that Newsweek has named it as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity” in 2023.

The award results from the publication’s analysis of what it identified as the top 1,000 companies that both celebrate diversity and have policies that cultivate inclusive workplaces. Black & Veatch’s recognition, in part, was attributed to its high levels of employee satisfaction among women, LGBTQ+ individuals and other historically marginalized groups.

“Our work in DEI is rooted in the belief that every employee-owner brings a valuable perspective to Black & Veatch, which enables a variety of solutions to tackle complex problems,” said Silas Dulan, Black & Veatch’s new associate vice president and global director of diversity, equity & inclusion. “We strive to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where all professionals thrive. This recognition from Newsweek really emphasizes the value and care we place on diversity and proves that we are making strides in the right direction.”

The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in management, as well as its reporting on diversity and sustainability, also contributed to the recognition.

“Receiving this award brings gratification as we continue to strengthen our inclusive, equitable and collaborative culture where we respect each other’s differences and as a result, enhance the ways we work together,” said Mario Azar, Black & Veatch chairman and CEO.

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

Editor’s Notes: 

The Newsweek “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023” survey collected over 350,000 company reviews from employees of U.S.-based companies. Learn more here.Read about Black & Veatch’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion here.Black & Veatch has also been awarded Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work 2023”

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2022 were US$4.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information:

MEGHAN LOCKNER | +1 201-977-1628 | locknerm@bv.com

24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com