Shawn Kaufman's guest appearances

Shawn Kaufman

Casting Light Podcast

HR Mavericks

Chris Lee

Eddie Kramer

Jared Olsen

Laura Frank

Kevin Campbell

Haskell Wexler

Daniel Connell

Chris Ruddy

Robin Schooling

Guy Smith

Scott Barnes

Jeff Croiter

Elizabeth Harper

David Blake

Ryan Archibald

OwlTail

From truck bodies to roller coasters, building tangible structures is a large part of the appeal of working in the skilled trade industry. And you get to work in places like football stadiums and amusement parks. Cool, right? So, why has the industry been hit particularly hard when it comes to attracting new talent?  We sat down with Shawn Kaufman, Director of Human Resources at Riggs Industries, Inc, to talk about what’s unique about manufacturing and construction companies and the challenges they face when it comes to attracting prospective workers. In particular, we discussed the shift that occurred away from getting an education in the form of apprenticeships or at a trade school and towards getting a four-year degree only—and how that shift has hurt the industry. We also talked about:  • What he’s done to help improve the perception of careers in skilled trades with students • How education doesn’t just occur at a four-year university; for some, an apprenticeship or trade school is a better fit  • Playing the long game when it comes to attracting talent  • His recommendations to other HR professionals and companies in skilled trade industries who are also struggling to attract prospective workers

From truck bodies to roller coasters, building tangible structures is a large part of the appeal of working in the skilled trade industry. And you get to work in places like football stadiums and amusement parks. Cool, right? So, why has the industry been hit particularly hard when it comes to attracting new talent?  We sat down with Shawn Kaufman, Director of Human Resources at Riggs Industries, Inc, to talk about what’s unique about manufacturing and construction companies and the challenges they face when it comes to attracting prospective workers. In particular, we discussed the shift that occurred away from getting an education in the form of apprenticeships or at a trade school and towards getting a four-year degree only—and how that shift has hurt the industry. We also talked about:  • What he’s done to help improve the perception of careers in skilled trades with students • How education doesn’t just occur at a four-year university; for some, an apprenticeship or trade school is a better fit  • Playing the long game when it comes to attracting talent  • His recommendations to other HR professionals and companies in skilled trade industries who are also struggling to attract prospective workers

9. Playing the Long Game to Attract Skilled Trade Talent w/ Shawn Kaufman

For nearly 20 years, Shawn Kaufman has been creating unforgettable environments on stage and in event spaces around the world.  Shawn as been a lighting designer for opera and theater, has run the lighting departments of major production houses, and is now director of CS Lighting, a division of event production firm CS Global.  He has never shied away from adopting new technologies as long as they served his purpose, and is now responsible for having created his own LED lighting fixture, the SFK.The SFK was designed for use by CS Lighting, but is also available for rental and sale to other firms and productions.  It was designed to offer the same soft beam pattern as a fluorescent fixture, but with individual control of red, green, blue, warm white, and cool white sources, as well as smooth dimming to zero.When your host Jason Marin and co-host Theresa Unfried sat down with Shawn, we discussed how the design and manufacturing process of a new unit works.  We also discussed what went into starting the CS Lighting division of CS Global from scratch and what Shawn has been able to bring to events from the theater and opera world.  Finally, we talked about the value of the arts in our culture and the dangers of supporting only top-end arts presentation.Many thanks to Shawn for joining us, and thanks to you for downloading and listening!

For nearly 20 years, Shawn Kaufman has been creating unforgettable environments on stage and in event spaces around the world.  Shawn as been a lighting designer for opera and theater, has run the lighting departments of major production houses, and is now director of <a href="http://lighting.csglobal.co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CS Lighting</a>, a division of event production firm <a href="http://www.csglobal.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CS Global</a>.  He has never shied away from adopting new technologies as long as they served his purpose, and is now responsible for having created his own LED lighting fixture, the SFK.The SFK was designed for use by CS Lighting, but is also available for rental and sale to other firms and productions.  It was designed to offer the same soft beam pattern as a fluorescent fixture, but with individual control of red, green, blue, warm white, and cool white sources, as well as smooth dimming to zero.When your host Jason Marin and co-host <a href="http://www.tajeventproductions.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Theresa Unfried</a> sat down with Shawn, we discussed how the design and manufacturing process of a new unit works.  We also discussed what went into starting the CS Lighting division of CS Global from scratch and what Shawn has been able to bring to events from the theater and opera world.  Finally, we talked about the value of the arts in our culture and the dangers of supporting only top-end arts presentation.Many thanks to Shawn for joining us, and thanks to you for downloading and listening!

Shawn Kaufman: from opera to fashion to fixture design