BESTworkexchange

Denver’s Road Office

VOA Facility as modeled  by BEST in 3D with Bentley Microstation V8i

The BEST workexchange is partnership between Volunteers of America, Bentley Systems, Inc., and community volunteers with engineering experience.

This pilot project began operations in 2007, training homeless and ex-offenders in valuable skills and life-long careers in CAD drafting and design. Additionally BEST provided simple CAD services to CH2MHill and other partnering companies used as paid training. Of the fourteen participants who completed the 12 month pilot, five were placed or found related employment.

 

Bentley Systems has provided BEST with software and online training subscriptions on a broad scope of infrastructure design disciplines: electrical, mechanical, structural, civil, plant, etc. VOA has provided computer lab space. A grant from Denver’s Road Home funded start up and our first 2 years of operation.

 

Potential candidates are screened to determine an interest in an engineering based field and then evaluated upon entry to the program.  Each begins with basic computer skills. After having demonstrated an acceptable level of competency, participants move on to basic drafting concepts and eventually through Bentley’s online, self-paced training curriculum with the opportunity to earn Bentley’s industry recognized STAR rating.

 

Bentley’s LEARN Server allows participants to access self-paced training and be credited with Learning Units summarized in a Bentley Transcript upon completion of each lesson or course. The BEST lab hosts 9 CAD workstations and a server with internet access, plotters and printers. Participants enter the program and train until they are qualified for job placement in a discipline of their preference. Our placements have been with RTD, Forerunner and others.

Primary to BEST is a unique concept based on Bentley Microstation, CAD (computer-aided design) software and Bentley ProjectWise, an Engineering Document Management System that dually serves as a training sandbox and a shared repository for the participants work.

 

Because of the inherent enterprise architecture of Bentley ProjectWise, BEST trainees can also provide simple drafting and technical data services (as OTJ training) to both local and global businesses from their workstations in the BEST lab or from personal laptops wherever internet access is available.  VOA is currently funding and overseeing all operations. We are currently seeking potential partners and opportunities for placement.

 

BEST was featured as a model for community involvement program at the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami, FL. As well as the May 2008 Issue of BE Magazine.

Thomas Crickenberger

Lead Trainer—Site Administrator

thomas.crickenberger@gmail.com

 

 

To volunteer or  for partnership opportunities:

ray.roske@bentley.com