New York, NY “The best of the best”: Andromeda Academy of Construction Trades has received the IACET Award for Innovation in Learner Engagement.The challenges of not only teaching, but truly engaging adult learners are huge. Compound that with the difficulties of engaging adults required to complete a mandated number of construction safety training hours within a tightly limited, fast-tracked amount of time in a meaningful, impactful manner and the hurdles only mount.

Andragogy (noun): The method and practice of teaching adult learners; adult education.

IACET, the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training, recognizes the ingenuity, creativity and commitment needed to overcome the steep challenges inherent in adult learning. Each year, the organization grants a special honor rewarding educational entities that achieve such mastery. In September of 2020, a year that celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the CEU (Continuing Education Unit) created by IACET, Andromeda Academy of Construction Trades LLC director Jake Toth accepted the Innovator of the Year Award in Learner Engagement on behalf of the Academy from IACET CEO Cassandra Blassingame. In a virtual ceremony, she applauded the IACET honorees for being “the best of the best.”

Andromeda Academy, the brainchild of founder John Kalafatis, was established in 2015 and received IACET accreditation soon after in 2016. Headquartered in Long Island City, the Academy inhabits a space fully furnished with scaffolding, PPE, and other equipment for in-person instruction able to simulate real-life situations. Open discussions and deep dives into case histories of near-misses and fatalities help lessons to resonate with learners. A virtual program, expanded since COVID, is currently utilized approximately 50% of the time.

Running a construction project efficiently and profitably without compromising safety is a complex, multi-faceted undertaking. As a critical component of a construction company’s success is the certification of employees, Andromeda Academy serves this function by keeping organizations and workforces compliant with OSHA and DOB rules and regulations. With proper training and certifications, contractors and subcontractors mitigate risk, minimize accidents and fines, and elevate the level of services provided.

The curriculum is designed and run by Toth, a person uniquely qualified for the task with 20 years of field experience as a competent and qualified scaffold erector and a construction safety expert, work as a high school teacher, dual degrees in English and education, and studies in international business in his native Hungary. Training coordinators Itzel Zarate and Jailyn Correa run the Academy’s daily operations.

Andromeda Academy trains all levels of the industry from novices to seasoned professionals. The carefully selected corps of instructors is highly experienced in construction and teaching. Many hold positions with leading construction companies.

Courses are designed to serve all types of learners – auditory, visual, and kinesthetically inclined. Multiple platforms aid information processing and retention. With each class and with every student, instructors must continually prove the value and relevance of the material.

“When students enter the classroom – either in-person or online – the question is ‘What’s in it for me?’ Instructors engage by providing a personal reference point to help students connect. We encourage students to think, to debate, to step up to the plate and express opinions. Without input, they’ll wander away,” said Toth.

The Academy’s learning-by doing approach, rotation of activities and roles, extensive coaching and feedback, is conducted in a blended learning environment that keeps participants in a positive, enriching atmosphere.

While remote learning can create Zoom fatigue, Academy instructors have always steered away from repetitive and prolonged lecturing and initiated frequent breaks and regular interaction. Methods to ensure participation are now enhanced for virtual formats. Further, online training has the advantage of extending to a far broader base of students and instructors. The Academy regularly serves students from across the tri-state area.

In his acceptance speech, Toth shared the key ingredients of Andromeda Academy’s success in learner engagement:

• Clearly defined goals
• Transparent communication
• Encouraging creative thinking
• Instilling a sense of ownership
• Eliminating ineffective action

He said, “Students take control of their environment, pushing themselves and one another to pick up skills, incorporate safety into the process, develop camaraderie and build confidence, resulting in better retention and high levels of repeat enrollment.”

Andromeda Academy clients are quick to praise the school. Scott Peltzer, program director, Brooklyn Woods, which trains unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers in woodworking, said, “During the pandemic it was crucial that we continued with a distant learning model. Andromeda Academy was the only source we found that could provide what we needed within a short timetable and deliver with high quality… The instructor [Phil Chodroff] did a fabulous job of engaging with students in an online format. [Instructors] were incredibly well-prepared, materials were well-presented. The commitment and expertise…in delivering high quality content was abundantly clear.”

Joshua Silverman, P.E., vice president of S&S Manufacturing in Marlboro, N.J., was pleased with the Academy’s ability to facilitate the NYC DOB 40-hour SST safety training and certification for the company’s employees. He said, “…The instructor [Jordie Landauro] really did a great job presenting the material in an engaging way that all participants could understand. We’ll certainly be keeping Andromeda Academy in mind for all our future training & certification needs.”

In thanking IACET for the award, Toth concluded by saying, “We drew from… [an] ethos improving the quality of continuing education and training worldwide and we cannot overstate our gratitude to IACET for being our guiding light in the pursuit of academic excellence.”

It is, indeed, a level of excellence that continues to place Andromeda Academy among “the best of the best.”