Day two of MCAA’s Great Futures Forum opened with an energetic video. See for yourself!

Career Development Committee Member Jon Finch noted that MCAA’s annual career-related conference has grown from and event with 60 attendees to this year’s more than 300.

MCAA President Greg Fuller welcomed attendees to his hometown of Indianapolis, saying “I’m delighted to note that this year we have our largest attendance ever, by a wide margin.” His remarks highlighted the opportunities the mechanical industry offers, both in terms of great futures and lifelong learning available from MCAA.

Before we begin our sessions, I’ve been asked to offer a few serious words of advice. Let me start with a few words about myself, so you know where I’m coming from.

I’m the owner of North Mechanical Contracting, a mechanical construction and service contractor serving commercial, industrial, life sciences, institutional and public sector clients across central Indiana.

I started by becoming a journeyman plumber in 1985, became a superintendent and joined North Mechanical in 1991 as a Project Manager. I transitioned into the company’s leadership as Vice President and purchased the company in 1997, becoming President and Owner. I know you can do the math… that’s 12 short years from starting at the company to becoming it’s owner and president.

And that is just the type of opportunity you can find in the mechanical industry.

All it takes is the willingness to work hard, be willing to take on new responsibilities, and continue learning throughout your career.

For example, our industry is always one of the first to incorporate the latest advances in technologies and practices into our companies – ever increasing use of tablets, Smartphones and apps, augmented and virtual reality, BIM and LEED, drones and total robotic stations. They are changing the way we do business, manage projects and relate to our customers.

Education is a priority at MCAA – in fact, we call ourselves the “education association.” Our education programs for your career include:
– an Institute for Project Management and an Advanced Institute for Project Management;
– an Advanced Leadership Institute for senior executives;
– an annual conference for our contractors specializing in the service side of our business;
– an annual conference that focuses on fabrication and modularization, two trends virtually transforming the way projects are built;
– an annual conference on construction technology;
– an annual conference focusing on the all-important topic of jobsite safety;
– and many, many other conferences, seminars, workshops, webinars, publications and apps…I could go on, but my point is that MCAA member companies take education very seriously, and so do we as their association.

There are people here who have started incredibly successful careers and companies using these resources and educational programs. I dare say that you can, too.

We have a lot of resources on the web.

MCAA.org has hundreds of these same publications that you can download, for free. You just need to create a profile, identify your student chapter, and you’re in.

And the mcaagreatfutures.org website has been redone and relaunched this week to provide news on our student chapters and our industry and assist you in getting your resume in front of our members. If you haven’t logged in and uploaded your resume, talk to Adrienne or Megan or Harlee or any of the staff here and get that done today.

So I’ve told you that in my opinion, you will find more success, more variety of responsibility at an earlier age, and more exposure to new technology with one of our companies that with a gc. I firmly believe that.

What I want to add is that the mechanical industry is a family, where people build connections and develop life-long relationships.

We all watched with horror as Hurricane Harvey flooded homes and vehicles across Houston. The destruction devastated over 350 individuals in MCAA’s family, folks who work for member companies. MCAA started a disaster relief fund, and in three weeks we raised a significant amount of money and were able to cut checks totaling 443 thousand dollars to these individuals to help them rebuild their lives.

That’s family. It’s our family. And we’re inviting you to join it.

In closing, let me say that I have no doubt that whatever path you follow, you are going to have a great future! I look forward to seeing many of you at our annual convention in March in San Antonio, and at the finals of the student chapter competition there.

So enjoy your time here, please take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities, and please join me in giving yourselves a round of applause for being here! After all, we are the champions!

MCAA’s 2017 GreatFutures Forum kicked off with the Futures Fest career fair on September 28, 2017. The first-ever such event for this conference was a huge success. Representatives from almost 40 participating MCAA member companies were on hand to connect with hundreds of students. Conversation was plentiful, with discussions focused around the employment and internship opportunities available at each company.

The event facilitated two matches. Cole Zeiler found his great future with HMH Contractors, Inc. and Kenneth Bankard found his with F.E. Moran, Inc. Congratulations to MCAA members and students alike!

If being hired wasn’t enough, the students each received a $500 gift card. Their employers qualified for a reward in the form of a $1,000 internship grant, our way of saying “thanks” for giving a bright, well-educated future professional his or her start on a great career.

Space will be available throughout the conference to continue the conversations with more extensive interviews. Those hired, and those who do the hiring, will qualify for the same rewards throughout the conference.

MCAA’s career-related website has a new look and new features. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to connecting members with the students who will comprise the industry’s future workforce. So what will you find at MCAAGreatFutures.org? We’re glad you asked!

Resumes

Looking for new talent to secure your company’s future? Make MCAAGreatFutures.org your first stop. Here, you’ll find the resumes of the bright students who participate in MCAA Student Chapters.

Looking for a specific skill like BIM or Autocad? Enter it into the keyword filter and you’ll get an instant list of students who fit the bill.

Prefer to search by university? We’ve got you covered – just select the university from the list and hit Submit.

Just want interns? Only looking for full-time professionals? The results can also be filtered by job type, so you can narrow them down depending on your needs.

Access to the resumes is exclusively for MCAA members, giving members first dibs on the talent the association’s Career Development Initiative has helped to nurture. To see candidate details, simply login with your MCAA.org username and password.

Our Universities

Visit this section of the site to check out our newest addition – university home pages. Each page provides a more detailed look at the university’s academic program, awards, and activities along with the basics like contact information. In addition, each page highlights resumes of the university’s students who are looking for their great futures.

An interactive map at the top of the page lets you filter the results to find universities near you. Or, skip the map to browse all universities.

News & Resources

This area of MCAAGreatFutures.org highlights job-related news content, including news submitted by our student chapters.

For MCAA members, this means information about how to manage interns, applying for internship grants, and the like.

Students get targeted information about our industry, job search tips, and information about Career Development Initiative programs like the GreatFutures Forum and the annual Student Chapter Competition.

Educators have their own area, too. In addition to information about Career Development Initiative programs and news from student chapters, they see information about programs specifically for them, like faculty grants.

Curious about what other groups are looking at? Browse all news and resources to find out!

Explore MCAAGreatFutures.org

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is the research arm of OSHA, reports that narcotics—i.e., opioids— account for 29 percent of prescription costs covered by workers’ compensation. Construction workers are constantly moving and handling materials in ways that can lead to strains, sprains, ligament tears and pulled muscles. Opioid prescriptions are very common, but the drugs are highly addictive. However, employers can help prevent their workers from becoming addicted to opioids. The attached article on How to Mitigate the Abuse of Construction’s Drug of Choice was provided to MCAA  by long-time partner in safety… CNA.

Learn More

OSHA’s new standard on Respirable Crystalline Silica is enforceable as of Saturday, September 23, 2017. However, employers who make good faith efforts to comply will receive compliance assistance from OSHA up to October 23, 2017. The agency is developing interim inspection and citation guidelines, which will be made available prior to October 23rd. MCAA will provide you with access to the guidelines as soon as they become available.

Learn More

The support of MCAA’s affiliated associations to our Disaster Relief Fund has been tremendous. A big THANK YOU goes out to the 42 that have contributed to date: MCA of Colorado, Western New York Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors, MCA of Omaha, Mid-Atlantic MCA, ARCA/MCA, Northern California MCA, MCA of Connecticut, MCA of Chicago, MCA of Rockford, Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois MCA, MCA of Indiana, MCA Central Gulf Coast, MCA of Maryland, New England MCA, Mid-Michigan MCA, West Michigan MCA, MCA of Detroit, MCA of Eastern Missouri, MCA of Kansas City, MCA of Las Vegas, MCA of New Jersey, MCA of New York, MCA of the Capital District, MCA of Akron, MCA of Central Ohio, MCA of Cleveland, Lima Area MCA, MCA of Northwestern Ohio, PMCA of Oregon, M&SCA of Eastern Pennsylvania, MCA of Western Pennsylvania, MCA of Memphis, MCA of Dallas, MCA of Fort Worth, MCA of Houston, Utah MCA, MCA of Western Washington, MCA of North Central Wisconsin, MCA of Northwest Wisconsin, MCA of Ontario and MCA of Toronto. THANK YOU AGAIN!

Nineteen plumbers, pipefitters, HVAC techs and office employees of MCAA member Graco Mechanical were victimized by Hurricane Harvey. Each received a $1,000 check from MCAA’s Disaster Relief Fund, thanks to the incredible generosity of MCAA’s affiliated associations, contractor, manufacturer and supplier members and many individual donors. We should ALL be proud of the good work we are doing to help our UA and MCAA family members whose lives have been turned upside down by Harvey. We are, together, indeed MCAA&UA STRONG!

The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) recently shared the results of research regarding the use of sharp vs. dull drill bits for drilling into concrete. The research was performed by Dr. David Rempel and his team at the University of California’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. In three experiments the research team showed that a worker’s exposure to noise, tool vibration and airborne silica dust increases substantially as a bit wears down from continued use.

The team designed a test bench system (pictured) that allows the researchers to test for and measure potential exposures to several hazards generated by different hammer drills – information that can help contractors and workers select and purchase safer tools. The test bench uses a mannequin torso attached to a slide mounted with equipment to measure a worker’s potential exposure to silica dust, noise, and the force and vibration that can lead to musculoskeletal injuries. The test bench also measures productivity – that is, how quickly the drill penetrates the concrete.

In their experiments, the team used a common hammer drill and carbide-tipped bit, isolating the effect of wear on the drill bit. As expected, heavily worn bits took much more time to penetrate the concrete than new ones, adding up to 60% to the time required to drill a 3” deep hole. Moreover, the worn bit increased the risk for illness and injury, generating about twice as much airborne silica dust, was almost two decibels (dBA) louder, and produced a small but significant increase in handle vibration. Combined, that means that a worker using a worn drill bit is exposed to more dust, noise and vibration, and for a longer period of time.  These results underscore the importance of replacing worn bits.

In a separate study, the team found that the best measures of wear on a carbide-tipped bit were reduced width of the tip and rounding of the tip shoulders.  Contractors and workers can check the condition of a bit by following these wear patterns.

While vacuums to control the dust and hearing protection will still be needed, the increase in productivity along with the reduced exposure to silica dust, noise, and vibration makes a strong safety and business case for regularly replacing worn drill bits.

In preparation for impending hurricanes, partner in safety CNA developed four planning guides covering flooding, hail, and business continuity. CNA has graciously made the guides available to MCAA members who may need them. All four guides are accessible below.

Flood Preparation Guide

Flood Preparation Checklist

Hail Preparation Guide

Business Continuity Planning Guide

OSHA’s new silica rule becomes enforceable on September 23, 2017. MCAA has several silica safety resources that are available to members for free as a benefit of membership. In addition, CNA, a long-time partner in safety with MCAA, is sharing its silica compliance course with MCAA members. Links to the silica safety resources are listed below.  If you have any questions, please contact Pete Chaney at pchaney@mcaa.org or 301-990-2214.

• An MCAA Safety Bulletin that highlights key provisions and summarizes the rule;
• An MCAA Guide to Silica Safety;
• A silica safety training video and accompanying pocket guide, documentation sheet, test and test answer key;
• A model silica exposure control plan; and
• CNA’s Silica Compliance Course