Lara McNicol is the Training Director at TSC Training Academy (TSCTA), where she oversees all training initiatives and business functions for the training academy. Since joining the TSCTA family in 2003 after beginning her adult education career, Lara has made her mark as a vanguard for the organization’s ongoing development. Her primary goal is to offer substantial and practical training and education to the construction workforce. She has played an instrumental role in positioning TSCTA as one of the top construction safety institutions in the tri-state area and is now the leading force at the prominent Long Island City training campus.
Experience
Working in a typically male-dominated industry, McNicol had to adapt to the industry’s demands and learn to own her power as a woman in the room. With the help of mentors and guidance from TSCTA’s previous training director, Tom Ferrante (previous Training Director), and managing members Jim and Liz Bifulco, McNicol cultivated the ability to handle the ins and outs of managing an academic institution, specifically in the construction industry. Whether it be her sensibility for forthcoming trends and demand for particular educational programming or her skill to adapt to present circumstances and create a path to prosper from, like implementing an online training platform—Lara is a force to reckon with. As a TSCTA executive, her continued focus is enhancing the culture and technicalities of safety for workers in all applicable areas. With sixteen years of experience to draw from, she is the ideal pilot for accentuating the education and protection provided to construction workers at TSCTA and the continued expansion of safety culture in general.
Vision for the Future
When she’s not behind her desk, in a meeting, or diving into the unforeseen daily challenges that arise when running a training academy, Lara invests time analyzing the direction of the industry as a whole and outlining her plans for the future of safety training beyond just construction. Despite the unexpected ups and downs of the construction industry and outside uncontrollable factors, Lara is confident in the affluence of TSC Training Academy and happy to create the way for herself and her team.