How Suffolk Is Building a Culture of Learning for Its People

Red & Blue University is Suffolk’s comprehensive, award-winning suite of talent development programs, designed to give builders at every career stage the knowledge and skills they need to navigate today’s increasingly complex construction environment. The way we build is constantly changing, and our boots on the ground are the ones figuring it out. It’s up to us to give them the training, resources, and opportunities they need to lead the way.

Artificial intelligence, budget constraints, increasing complexity — there are plenty of factors reshaping today’s construction environment, and our builders on the ground spend their days navigating these seismic shifts within the industry. They’re doing an incredible job. And we want to make sure they can thrive within a culture of learning, with every resource they need to rise to the challenge, progress in their careers, and reach their full potential.

In each of our programs, we prioritize specific, real-world capabilities, leveraging the experience of our Suffolk builders alongside experts from other industries who can share valuable lessons on leadership, communication, and more. We want to both attract and retain the best talent; to accomplish these twin goals, we make learning a two-way street. Current and recent Red & Blue University programs include:

• FAST (Field Accelerated Skills Training): Designed by Suffolk superintendents, for superintendents. Through mentorship, classroom exercises, and hands-on experience, FAST covers everything from safety, installation, and inspections to finishes, turnover, and leadership lessons. Since launching in 2023, 90 percent of Northeast and Southeast participants have leveled up their building expertise, and the Brandon Hall Group named FAST a Gold Winner for Most Innovative Program.
• Management Excellence Academy: Also recognized by the Brandon Hall Group.
• Rising Leaders Program: Also recognized by the Brandon Hall Group.
• Project Executive Academy: Also recognized by the Brandon Hall Group.

We’re in the process of developing a version of FAST for project managers, with about 100 Suffolk experts contributing their insights to create the best program possible. These highly skilled project managers will teach the classes as well.

We’ve also created an immersive development experience for a range of Suffolk leaders, where external experts offer directed instruction and location-specific content in places such as Normandy, France; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and West Point Military Academy in New York, to explore how their history can inform our approach to the built world. Our Lessons in Leadership podcast shares conversations based on the sessions that take place during those retreats, and you can stream the episodes here.

These are just two examples of what our culture of learning offers through Red & Blue University, and we’re just getting started. We’re continuing to modernize our offerings and expand the types of experiences that new hires, project executives, people managers, rising leaders, and more can find through our tailored programs. Because at the end of the day, we need to do more than build buildings. We need to build up our people.

Does this sound like a place where you want to work? Visit Suffolk.com/careers to learn more and join our team.