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The John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF) Internship Grant program will be upgraded for 2025, and will soon offer a new level of support for multiple entities involved with developing the future talent of our industry.

Student Chapters

• Due January 15, 2025 (for calendar year 2024 interns).
• Submitted by the Faculty or Industry Advisor.
• Funds distributed in March 2025 to the student chapter.
• Up to $500 per intern (8-week internship minimum, may occur anytime during 2024).
• Up to $1,000 per full-time new hire from 2024.
• One application per student chapter, per grant type.
  • Intended to offer additional support to student chapters that are connecting students with internship and full-time employment in the mechanical contracting industry. Chapters are encouraged to utilize this funding to bring additional students to conferences such as the GreatFutures Forum or MCAA Convention.

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Affiliated Associations

• Due April 1, 2025 (for 2025 plans).
• Submitted by the Affiliated Association Executives.
• Notified of award by May 1, 2025. Check goes to the Affiliated Association.
• $5,000 grant (5 available).
• One application per Affiliated Association, covering all related student chapters.
  • Intended to offer support for the development and growth of local student chapter programming that creates new employment opportunities or student inclusivity at events with potential employers, mentoring programs, or new student-focused resources.

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Employers

• Due April 1, 2025 (for 2025 interns)
• Submitted by the company.
• Notified of award by May 1, 2025, check to the company.
• $1,000 grant (25 available).
• One application accepted per company location.
• Intern may be from any 2- or 4-year accredited college or university.
• 8-week internship minimum may occur anytime during 2025.
• Following the internship, a photo must be submitted with the intern on the jobsite, at the office, by a company sign, or in branded swag.
  • Intended to offer support to companies that are new to offering internships, small companies, or those that are looking to grow their internship program. 

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2024 Legacy Program (Employers) – Part 1 Internships

• Due January 31, 2025, then will be discontinued.
• Submit an application for each intern.
• Companies with 1 intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant. Companies with 2 or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant. 

2024 Legacy Program (Employers) – Part 2 Full-Time New Hires

• Due December 31, 2025.
  • To allow for Part 1 2024 interns to be hired upon graduation in 2025, the Part 2 Legacy Program will remain active until the close of 2025, and then will be discontinued.
• For companies successfully converting an intern from their Part 1 Legacy list to a full-time new hire, a $500 check will be mailed to the company, to present to their new hire. New hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must be included on a Part 1 Legacy list.

Visit MCAA’s Career Development Initiative page to learn more about student chapter programming or the JRGF website to explore the work JRGF is doing to further education in the mechanical industry.

There is no time like the present, especially when it comes to hiring for interns and full-time employees post-graduation. Although May 2025 seems light-years away, it is at the forefront of students’ minds right now! MCAA resources and the GreatFutures Job Board provide inspiration and a way to connect. Read on to learn more about them and how they can benefit your company. 

Fresh off the MCAA GreatFutures Forum and in the midst of their local career fairs, many of the students are on the hunt for that perfect summer internship to explore a career in mechanical contracting. Likewise, seniors are ready to fully dive in and find their employment homes. Don’t miss out on hiring from the 2024-2025 class by waiting too long! Many offer letters are signed within the next few weeks and the pace picks up as the Thanksgiving holiday nears. 

Now is the time to devote additional resources to hiring strategies. In 2023, the MCAA Career Development Committee released an MCAA Internship Guide, and specifically a Hire Me October segment, which highlights four unique ideas that could spark inspiration for hiring strategies. 

Always wanted to hire an intern, but have held off because you didn’t know where to start? Check out the Internship Best Practices Guide for a timeline of events.

Have an intern identified, but are stuck with what to actually do with them once they are onsite at your office? First, read about hosting an Industry (or Company) Orientation Day. Then browse the Hot Sauce Guide for a list of tasks that is organized by skill-level (the hotter the ranking…the higher the skill level) instead of their academic year in school. 

Tried everything to find an intern locally and still come up empty handed? Try casting a wider net by posting on the MCAA GreatFutures Job Board to attract students from all 42 MCAA student chapters.

How to Post an Entry-Level Job or Internship 

1.  Login with an MCAA username and password. 
2.  Click on the job board within the Career Development page.
3.  Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting. 

•  Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh. 
•  When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month. 
•  Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume. 

4. Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resumes. 
5.  From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application and interview process. 

New jobs are highlighted every two weeks on the mcaagreatfutures Instagram page.

If you have questions about any of these resources, please reach out to MCAA’s Michele Hoffman.

Enhancing year-long recruitment strategies to further the support that student chapter members feel from the MCAA membership can be the ultimate decision maker for post-graduation plans. To many of these students, that choice isn’t simply about a job. They are searching for a community of professionals where they feel welcome and engaged. There’s no better time to start connecting the dots for a Great Future with MCAA than while they’re still in school.

The MCAA Career Development Committee is proud to roll out a new eight-part Recruitment Guide. The guide has something for everyone from MCAA contractor members to Local Affiliate Executives and Faculty Advisors. There’s even PowerPoint and flyer templates to assist the students with classroom visits as they head back to campus at the end of the month. 

Available Recruitment Guide Resources

For Faculty:

• Recruitment Idea List
• Recruitment Timeline

For Students:

• PowerPoint Template + Customization Guide
• Flyer Template + Customization Guide

For MCAA Members:

• Recruitment Best Practices

For Local Association Executives:

• Recruitment Best Practices

Looking for additional ways to get involved with student chapter recruitment?  Check out the Universities Page for a listing of chapters or contact MCAA Director, Career Development, Michele Hoffman (mhoffman@mcaa.org).