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Expand Your Hiring Pool at GFF24 – Seattle

This fall, students from 30+ MCAA student chapters who are interested in a career in mechanical contracting will be looking for the perfect employment match for their summer 2025 plans. Be sure to be in the room for the most untraditional job fair around and meet students who are interested in getting out of their own backyard and exploring new parts of the country for an internship or their first position post-graduation.

(Photo from GFF23 with students in matching blue shirts.)

We’ve done away with stationery and stiff booths and instead offer a relaxed and casual breakfast that puts the focus on making impactful connections.  Identifiers will be distributed to signify if you’re offering an internship (yellow beads), full-time job (green beads), or if you’re just there for the bacon breakfast (purple beads).  Employers are encouraged to wear a company shirt and likewise students will all be wearing matching gray GFF shirts to easily stand out.

GFF Job Fair 101 for Employers
Example: Looking to Hire an Intern

  1. Wear a company shirt to signify you’re an employer.
  2. Attend the Job Fair Prep for Employers Session (15 minutes of best practices).
  3. Check in at the Employer Desk to add your company to the Digital Employer Board.
  4. Grab YELLOW beads.
  5. Mingle around the room and look for someone in a matching gray shirt wearing yellow beads…. Congrats – you’ve found a potential employee!
  6. Say hello, use the tips from the Prep Session, and start your conversation.
  7. Trade information via provided digital business card to continue your conversation the week following GFF24.
    Optional: Head over to the Interview Breakout Room for a quiet place for a quick on-site interview.
  8. Enjoy the bacon themed breakfast and meet additional students. 

New for 2024: Pop-up corners will be utilized during designated windows of time to call out specific items of interest such as geographic location or specialized career paths. 

Please do not bring trinkets, handouts, or backdrops. Everyone will be moving around the room throughout the event.

GreatFutures Forum Registration – Closes August 30th!
September 26 – 28, 2024 | The Westin Seattle

Registration is complimentary for MCAA contractor members for the duration of this three-day conference, including the job fair, meals and all offsite activities. 

Register Now

GFF24 Program Highlights

Thursday, September 26th

  • GFF Alumni Breakfast
  • Welcome from MCAA President, Rick Gopffarth
  • Moving the Needle Panel
  • Mastering the Swing of Social Etiquette
  • Topgolf and Dinner

Friday, September 27th

  • Job Fair Prep for Employers
  • Job Fair Breakfast
  • Innovation – An Intertwined Future Keynote with Tanmay Bakshi
  • MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions Tour
  • Dinner at the Seattle Aquarium

Saturday, September 28th

  • The Mechanical Puzzle
  • Building Your Chapter Roundtables
  • Trivia Answers & Prizes

Congratulations to Daniel DeSoto, Recipient of the Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship

The Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship was developed to recognize a student interested in a career as an estimator within the mechanical contracting industry.

For the past few years, Trimble has donated complimentary use of the Trimble Estimation MEP software for MCAA Student Chapter Competition teams. Likewise, this scholarship is awarded to a Student Chapter Competition Final Four team member.

Daniel graduated in May from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Construction Management. This summer, he jumped back into the classroom in pursuit of a Masters, this time at the University of California, Berkeley. During his time in the student chapter, Daniel served as Student Chapter President and helped his team to a second place finish for the 2022-2023 project and a first-place finish for the 2023-2024 project during his senior year. Daniel previously interned with MCAA member, Pribuss Engineering.

“My involvement with the MCAA student chapter has given me lifelong friendships, career opportunities, and personal and professional development. I have made great relationships through the MCAA club at CalPoly by spending hours together working on the competition, which has created a bond almost like family since we spent so much time together. We know each other inside and out. MCAA has also helped me develop personally and professionally by teaching me what it takes to succeed in this industry and providing a guide for how to be a leader. One of the biggest takeaways is that building relationships is extremely important.

Last summer, I did estimating work for a mechanical contractor (who I met through my chapter involvement). After using all the software and enjoying the process, I began to realize that I could work on a lot more projects at a time. I really enjoyed the fast pace of everything as well as the amount of responsibility given to me from day one. I have always really loved to compete; this is part of the reason I engaged in the Student Chapter Competition. Estimating is similar to this process, except for the fact you are competing against real companies. I really grew to love this process by the end of my internship and can’t wait to see what my future in estimating will look like. I hope to someday be a chief estimator producing accurate estimates and creating value for the company I work for.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Daniel on this prestigious scholarship and thank Trimble for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Jeff Woodard, Recipient of the DEWALT Patriot Scholarship

The DEWALT Patriot Scholarship, now in its third year, was created to recognize two veterans, or those who are currently serving in the United States Military, who have valiantly served their country and have chosen to enter a career in the construction industry. Thank you to DEWALT for honoring our military and to our scholarship recipients for their service to our country. These two special scholarships were presented at the MCAA Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Orlando on March 20th by Jon Howland (U.S. Navy Veteran) and Greg Polk. 

Jeff Woodard served in the U.S. Navy for five years as a Hospital Corpsman, attaining the rank of Hospital Corpsman Third Class (E4). His entire military career was spent as a field medical service technician with USMC infantry and special operations units and consisted of multiple deployments. While deployed, his job centered around combat medicine, humanitarian aid, and casualty evacuation.

Jeff is studying Construction Management and anticipates graduating in May 2026 from the University of Nebraska’s Omaha campus. This summer, he is interning with MCAA Member, Mainelli Mechanical Contractors.

“When thinking of company values that are appealing to me, the first that comes to mind is one I learned in the military – servant leadership. I don’t mean that I expect a leader to be subservient, but that their leadership style comes from a place of mutual respect and a shared vision. Leaders who keep their employees accountable and encourage them to be the best version of themselves on whatever project they’re working on are conducive to getting the best results and maintaining job satisfaction.

Then a second value that I find important is work-life balance. I’m married and have two sons. I like work and look forward to getting into an industry that will change and push me, but in order to get the best work out of people, they also need time to decompress and play catch with their kids.

As a new construction management student, many of the meetings, classes, and webinars that I’ve been invited to with my student chapter have already presented me with more knowledge about specific industry practices and procedures than many of my classes. Topics ranging from How to Read Drawings to more broad subjects like Project Engineering Fundamentals for people new to the industry have both confirmed my decision to pursue mechanical contracting and given me a head start on the material that I will be expected to learn along the way. I hope one day to be able to put back into the organization to help future students because of how beneficial the MCA has already been for me.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Jeff on this prestigious scholarship and thank DEWALT for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Summer’s Here – Make a Splash with an Internship Grant

Summer internships are already at their midpoint. Did you remember to submit your Internship Grant applications for the lucky students spending their summer learning about mechanical contracting at your office? What could your company do with $1,000 to enhance your internship program that would create a splash around the office?

Ideas for 1-2 Interns

  • Offset their salary 
  • Offer a housing subsidy, if they are from out of your area 
  • Reward performance with a bonus 
  • Develop individual scholarships 

Ideas for Larger Groups of Interns

  • Order company swag
  • Provide technology upgrades
  • Participate in gift card raffles 
  • Schedule a Lunch and Learn
  • Pair up with mentors for social outings
  • Team up with an MCAA company for an intern dodgeball / baseball match (with treats)
  • Gather for an end of summer celebration

Keep in mind, the first step to using Internship Grant funds successfully is to submit the form!

Internship Grant (Part 1):

  • Submit an application for each intern. 
  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Companies with one intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant OR companies with two or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant.
Part 1: Internship Grant Application

Internship Grant (Part 2):

Then, once your intern is hired full-time post-graduation, come back and submit a Part 2 form for a $500 gift card to present to the new hire.  Keep in mind, new hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must have previously been included on a Part 1 list.  Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after the new hire’s full-time start date.

Part 2: Internship Grant Application

MCAA thanks the John R. Gentille Foundation for its support in underwriting many of the activities of the MCAA Career Development Initiative. Chief among these is an internship program that allows mechanical contractors to identify and evaluate potential full-time hires for their companies.

Congratulations to Carter Bennett, 2024 Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Congratulations to Carter Bennett, one of the two recipients of the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established these scholarships to honor the memory of Alan P. O’Shea, it’s former Executive Director, and to memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry. These scholarships were presented by Richard Tomaiko (MCA of New Jersey President) and Phillip Petillo (MCA of New Jersey Executive Director) at the MCAA24 Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Orlando on March 20th.

Carter anticipates graduating from Ferris State University in May 2025 with a degree in HVAC/R. He is currently active in his student chapter and has held the position of Treasurer. This summer Carter will be interning with MCAA Member, Limbach Company LLC.

“The amount of time and effort that MCAA puts into finding careers for their students seems to be the most out of the organizations. At Ferris, we have several companies that will come in and tell us about their company. For students that go into the HVAC/R trade blindly, it can be hard to imagine how work really is since it likely won’t be just like the labs that we have in school. When companies actually come in and talk about what they do, students can receive a much clearer picture into what they are walking into.

After I graduate, I would like to share my experiences with students to help them find a career for themselves. Being a student makes me realize how daunting it can be to find a career after college. Something that would make me want to work for a company would be knowing that they invest in someone as a person and not just to get the job done. When a company spends time teaching new employees and realizing that they have potential for more, it’s very appealing. The second thing would be the company’s atmosphere. Realizing that it is more like a family can make it a much more enjoyable place to work. These values are very important to me because I am someone who doesn’t look at a job opportunity as short-term, but more as an investment for myself.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Carter on this prestigious scholarship and thank the MCA of New Jersey for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Griffin Souder, Recipient of the Viega Scholarship

The Viega scholarship, now in its second year, was awarded to Griffin Souder. Scholarship requirements specify this award be presented to a student who is an active participant of an MCAA student chapter, who is a junior or senior, majoring in a construction program, with a 3.5 GPA or higher, who participated in MCAA’s Student Chapter Competition, and most importantly, who is committed to a career in mechanical contracting, demonstrated through a current or upcoming summer internship. Griffin checked all the boxes and was awarded a $5,000 check at MCAA24 in Orlando during the Awards of Excellence Breakfast.

Griffin is a Construction Engineering major at Pittsburg State University with an anticipated graduation of May 2025. He served as student chapter secretary and is currently interning at P1 Construction, LLC.

“The experience I have gained the most from being part of my MCAA student chapter is just creating all the relationships and meeting people in the mechanical industry. I really do enjoy creating relationships because someday, you might be working with them on a project and you already have an established relationship to build off. When our student chapter went to Milwaukee for the MCAA GreatFutures Forum, I had a blast meeting all of the other schools in MCAA, as well as all of the companies that took time to come to GreatFutures. It felt nice to feel part of an organization and feel involved, not just going to classes and going home every day.

After becoming part of Pittsburg State’s MCAA student chapter, I have really grown interested in the mechanical industry. With some help from our advisor and some additional help from MCAKC [the MCA of Kansas City], I was able to have interview with P1 Construction. I hope my summer internship with P1 goes well because I really want to pursue a career in mechanical construction. This summer will be my first internship with a mechanical contractor and I’m really looking forward to this summer to get in there and start learning everything I can.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Griffin on this prestigious scholarship and thank Viega for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

GreatFutures Forum Registration Now Open

Registration for the 2024 MCAA GreatFutures Forum is now open. Join us for this three-day annual conference designed to connect MCAA members with students interested in internship and full-time opportunities in mechanical contracting. MCAA Student Chapter Members, Faculty Advisors, Members, Local Association Executives and Forum Sponsors all enjoy complimentary registration, so register today!

2024 MCAA GreatFutures Forum
September 26 – 28 | The Westin Seattle

GreatFutures Forum Registration

Registration Deadline: Friday, August 30th

Congratulations to Gina Carnovale, Recipient of the Ferguson Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship

This is the seventh year for the Ferguson Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) Scholarship, which was presented at the Awards of Excellence Breakfast during the MCAA Convention to two high-achieving female students working toward a degree relative to the mechanical industry. Both recipients were invited to attend the 2024 WiMI Conference in Cleveland, OH, as honored attendees with complimentary registration.

Gina is a Construction Management major at Kent State University with an anticipated graduation of May 2025. She is an active member of her student chapter and has served as the competition chair lead and secretary. Last summer she interned with MCAA Member, Southland Industries.

“Before becoming involved with Kent State’s MCAA student chapter, I had limited knowledge of what a career in construction entailed, let alone mechanical contracting. Joining the organization marked a pivotal moment in my academic journey as it has provided me with countless opportunities. The Student Chapter Competition was the baseline of my knowledge and I used the knowledge I gained from this experience and the Job Fair at the 2022 GreatFutures Forum to land my first internship (Southland Industries). This has since launched my passion for the industry and has inspired me to create bigger career goals for myself.

My favorite aspect of MCAA as a future professional is its ability to transform the construction industry into a closely-knit community, encouraging collaboration among companies nationwide. Through MCAA, I have made professional connections that I believe will be valuable throughout my entire career. Moreover, my involvement in MCAA has allowed me to assume leadership roles within our student chapter, enhancing not only my technical skills, but also my soft skills, such as communication and teamwork.

Looking forward, I hope to further enhance my leadership abilities through continued involvement with MCAA after graduation by working for a company deeply involved in the national organization. It would be incredibly rewarding to give back to an organization that has offered me so much. Since my first MCAA conference, I have considered what it may be like to potentially be a panel member someday, sharing my own story. My goal is to share my experiences through MCAA, inspiring other college students to consider the mechanical industry and explore the opportunities it holds.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Gina on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

GreatFutures Forum Registration Will Open on June 14

Registration for the MCAA 2024 GreatFutures Forum will open on Friday, June 14th, with a registration deadline of Friday, August 30th.  Registration is complimentary for MCAA Student Chapter members, Faculty Advisors, Members, Local Association Executives and Forum Sponsors.

Program Highlights

  • Presidential Welcome from Rick Gopffarth
  • Moving the Needle Panel
  • Mastering the Swing of Social Etiquette
  • Topgolf Offsite Activity and Dinner
  • Job Fair Breakfast
  • Innovation – An Intertwined Future Keynote with Tanmay Bakshi
  • Competition Skills: Takeoff Basics
  • ’24-’25 Competition Introduction
  • MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions Tour
  • Seattle Aquarium Offsite Activity and Dinner
  • The Mechanical Puzzle
GreatFutures Forum Information

Make the Most of Your Internship Grant Funds this Summer

If your company employs one or two interns, then ways to utilize a JRGF Part 1 Internship Grant ( $1,000 for 1 intern / $2,000 for 2+ interns) are fairly obvious, such as offsetting the interns’ salary, offering a housing subsidy if they’re from out of the area, or even rewarding the interns with a bonus upon completion of a successful summer. However, distributing the funds over multiple interns can be more of a logistical challenge. The following are a few ideas to help make the most of the internship grant and to elevate the overall internship experience at your company.

Intern Orientation Day – Gather all interns and host a training day where company policies and values are reviewed. Tour your office, make introductions and then use the funds for a lunch to make the new interns feel welcome and part of the team. 

Company Swag – Nothing says welcome to the team like branded apparel! Set your interns up in style with a collection of shirts, hats, tech cases/gadgets and personalized drinkware.

Technology Upgrades – Don’t get stuck troubleshooting out-of-date, hand me down, or broken devices from the previous decade. Upgrade your intern’s tech prior to their starting date so they can start fresh and be ready to roll on day one.

Gift Card Raffles – Keep the fun going all summer with friendly office competitions or raffles throughout their internship by offering multiple prizes in smaller increments.

Lunch and Learns – Consider adding intern/new hire lunch and learn topics over the summer to supplement their classroom and hands-on education. Each educational gathering doubles as an opportunity to further show your company’s investment in their future with your company.   

Intern/Mentor Activities – Pair your intern with a company mentor and encourage them to get to know each other in a relaxed setting by blowing off some steam during bowling, pickleball, mini golf, or even an escape room outing. Gather the mentor/intern pairs afterwards for a special sweet treat such as snow cones or ice cream.     

End of Summer Celebration – Celebrate their successful summer with a pizza party or food from your local caterer of choice. Everyone loves food, especially college students! Compile photos of the interns’ experience and run the slides on a loop throughout the event to remind them how truly incredible their summer was with your company.    

Keep in mind, the first step to utilizing Internship Grant funds successfully is to submit the form!

Internship Grant (Part 1)

  • Submit an application for each intern.
  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Companies with one intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant. Companies with two or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant.
Part 1: Internship Grant Application

Internship Grant (Part 2)

Once your intern is hired full-time post-graduation, come back and submit a Part 2 form for a $500 gift card to present to the new hire. Keep in mind, new hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must have previously been included on a Part 1 list from an MCAA company. Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after the new hire’s full-time start date.

Part 2: Internship Grant Application

MCAA thanks the John R. Gentille Foundation for its support in underwriting many of the activities of the MCAA Career Development Initiative. Chief among these is an internship program that allows mechanical contractors to identify and evaluate potential full-time hires for their companies.