As the construction industry across Northern Nevada continues to face labor shortages, Q&D Construction has taken workforce development into its own hands. The regional general contractor has launched the N.L. Dianda Skills Academy, a dedicated training center at Mustang, with the goal of equipping the next generation of workers with practical experience and technical knowledge to meet industry demands.

Q&D CEO Lance Semenko said the company invested more than $2 million in employee training and development in 2024 alone, a move he described as both necessary and forward-thinking.

“We realized years ago that we didn’t have a whole lot of apprentices, and the ones we did have were not properly trained,” Semenko told the Northern Nevada Business Weekly. “We saw that their training was going to fall onto us.”

The issue is hardly new. For over a decade, Northern Nevada has struggled to replace an aging construction workforce. The problem has intensified with the rise of industrial warehousing jobs, which offer climate-controlled work environments and often lure young workers away from physically demanding outdoor trades.

To address this, Q&D’s Dianda Skills Academy provides hands-on training in excavation, concrete placement, forklift operation, and other foundational tasks. Semenko emphasized that the facility doesn’t just train novices—it also creates opportunities for seasoned professionals to pass down their knowledge and preserve Q&D’s long-standing construction culture.

“In order to make sure our industry is successful down the road, we all have to do our part to make sure training moves forward, not only for the company but also for the employee,” Semenko said. “We know there’s no guarantee that the employee is going to stay at Q&D, but we hope they do.”

At the academy, apprentices clock in and train just as they would on a traditional jobsite, receiving regular pay while learning in a safer, controlled environment. Trainers include current and retired Q&D employees who return specifically to mentor new hires.

Q&D’s Training and Outreach Director Eva Werschky, who joined the company four years ago and now leads its workforce development programs, said the training helps elevate experienced workers and rookies alike.

“It’s taking guys who know how to run equipment to the next level in a safe environment,” Werschky said.

The company works closely with multiple local trade unions, including Operating Engineers Local 3, Laborers Local 169, and Cement Masons Local 797, whose members receive credit toward apprenticeship requirements through Q&D’s program. However, one notable holdout remains: Carpenters Local 971 has not recognized Q&D’s training credentials, a move Semenko called “archaic.”

“All the other unions bought into it,” he said. “It’s so archaic, but that’s typical in this day and age.”

Currently, Q&D employs about 65 apprentices, who meet quarterly with company leadership in open forums to share their insights and provide feedback about their experiences. This approach, Semenko said, builds transparency and accountability.

“We are doing this to help them, which in turn helps us,” he said.

Werschky added: “They realize what we are doing as a company and the culture we are bringing them up in—that it’s OK to ask questions. We encourage them to be participants in the job and not just keep their heads down and do their work.”

The Dianda Skills Academy is named in honor of Q&D founder Norm Dianda, who co-founded the company in 1964 and passed away in 2021. The facility is located on the former site of the Wild West Motorsports Park, which closed during the pandemic and has since been repurposed into a multipurpose training and operations hub. In addition to the academy, the site houses Q&D’s heavy equipment parking, concrete recycling, and slurry press operations.

The facility’s resources continue to grow. In 2023, Q&D acquired two Caterpillar simulators to provide immersive training experiences during the winter months when outdoor work slows. The simulators replicate the experience of operating a CAT loader or excavator, helping employees build confidence before entering real work zones.

Q&D also offers English classes, with more than 25 employees attending weekly sessions to improve communication and broaden their career prospects.

The holistic investment in training has already begun to pay dividends, Semenko said, helping the company retain top talent while strengthening its workforce pipeline.

“Without Eva’s help and the trainers out in the field, this program wouldn’t be working as well as it is,” he said. “If every company in town did this, it would help the whole construction industry.”

Originally reported by Rob Sabo in Nevada Appeal.