MCAA National Update for December 29, 2014

This Week

MCAA Declares 2015 The Year of the Intern Power-Driven by a New Website!

When a Medical Emergency Happens, Can You Help?

Are You Ready for the Next Big Thing? ALI Can Help You Prepare!

Does Your Company's Safety Program Deserve Recognition?

Advance Your Leadership Skills with MSCA's Sales Leadership Symposium

Catch Up on the Latest Safety and Health Information at MCAA's 12th Annual Safety Directors Conference

Improve Your Bottom Line with MSCA Dispatcher Training

Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois MCA Contributes to MCERF

MCAA Declares 2015 The Year of the Intern Power-Driven by a New Website!

MCAA is launching a new initiative aimed at helping our members find and recruit well-qualified young professionals for internships and full-time positions. At the same time, this initiative will help students connect with our members and facilitate offers for internships or jobs. To bring this about, we are implementing two key and related elements. First, we are declaring 2015 to be The Year of the Intern, with the goal of doubling the number of Student Internship Grants - funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) - awarded to MCAA members who hire students as interns. And, we are increasing the amount of the grants to $1,500 per student hired. We will also, for the first time, consider multiple grant requests from member companies. Second, we are in the final stages of creating a new website that will "power-drive" this initiative. It will include: a resume posting site that will allow students to post their profiles and resumes where MCAA member firms will be able to "discover" and link up with students seeking internships and full-time professional positions; an informative and engaging industry information site featuring quick-read articles and videos highlighting the interesting work, the great companies and the ultra-high-tech equipment that comprise our industry; and a news site with the latest information about MCAA programs and activities and our student chapters. The site will go live early in January. This is just the beginning...plans are in development for a big internship push at MCAA 2015 in Maui, HI and for other ways of drawing future professionals into our industry. Watch this publication and the new website for announcements. In the meantime, please contact Ann Mattheis at amattheis@mcaa.org with questions.

When a Medical Emergency Happens, Can You Help?

Do you know how to help an injured employee until an ambulance arrives? What steps must you take when a colleague or friend suffers a heart attack? If you aren't sure about either of these situations, then you may need first aid and CPR/AED training or your skills may need updating. If you are attending the Annual Safety Directors' Conference in San Antonio, TX (January 27-29, 2015) and want to get trained in or refresh your first aid and CPR procedures, four courses are available before the conference begins. Two courses are for instructors in those procedures and the other two train those who will render the services. The First Aid Instructor and CPR/AED Instructor courses will take place on January 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on January 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The First Aid and CPR/AED courses will take place on January 27, from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Both sets of courses will take place at the same location as the conference. Sign up for a course by contacting Beth Miller at bmiller@mcaa.org or call 800-556-3653.

Are You Ready for the Next Big Thing? ALI Can Help You Prepare!

The forces that shape our industry - whether economic, technological or market-driven - are changing constantly, and you need to be ready to take them on and turn them into opportunities. MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI), our premier educational offering, is all about helping our industry's executives prepare for change and uncertainty. The curriculum focuses on strategic planning and leadership development that addresses today's and tomorrow's toughest business challenges. Whether the issues are just beginning to emerge or demanding action now, the ALI will prepare you to develop and implement effective solutions. A new module on "Branding" and another on "Customer Partnerships" enhance the value of the program. The branding module will include WebEx-delivered components during the interim period between Week 1 and Week 2. Dates for ALI's Course 15 are: September 27-October 2, 2015 (Week 1) and November 8-13, 2015 (Week 2). Spaces are filling up quickly, so apply now. To request an application or learn more about the ALI, please contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

Does Your Company's Safety Program Deserve Recognition?

MCAA/CNA are now offering members two ways to be recognized for excellence in safety initiatives during 2014 - the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards and the MCAA Safety Certificates of Commendation Program. Electronic applications for the Safety Excellence Awards are available at www.mcaa.org/safetyawards and the deadline for completed applications is January 6, 2015. All MCAA/MSCA members are eligible to compete. The application must include a brief description of the company and its safety program, a statement about why the company deserves a top safety award and a brief description of an innovative safety initiative implemented by the company in 2014. The winners will be announced at the Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony during MCAA 2015 in Wailea, Maui, HI. The MCAA Safety Certificates of Commendation Program opens on January 15, 2015; go to the link above for an annual report form. Every company that submits a completed report form will receive a confidential benchmarking report that compares their company's occupational injury incidence rates with the aggregate rates of the other participants in the same size category and with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry averages for the mechanical construction industry. Members that qualify for a certificate of commendation will receive it in April. Reports are due to MCAA by March 31, 2015. Please contact Pete Chaney with questions at pchaney@mcaa.org.

Advance Your Leadership Skills with MSCA's Sales Leadership Symposium

Advance Leadership Skills at MSCA's Sales Institute

Due to popular demand, MSCA is now offering a second Sales Leadership Symposium on February 23-24, 2015, in Philadelphia, PA. This extended two-day seminar will provide anyone responsible for sales team development (even if he/she doesn't have a sales manager job title) with the skills needed to recruit, hire, onboard, coach, and train his/her team. Participation in this session is required by the sales leader before his/her team members can attend the Sales Master program (for intermediate- and advanced-level service sales staff) to ensure that managers are equipped to successfully support employees who advance through the Sales Masters program. Visit www.msca.org/salesinstitute/leadership to register for the Sales Leadership Symposium. This is the only Symposium scheduled for 2015 and the class size is limited, so register early. For information about all MSCA Sales Institute programs, visit the MSCA Sales Institute Web page. Contact Sobeida Orantes (saorantes@mcaa.org) with registration questions.

Catch Up on the Latest Safety and Health Information at MCAA's 12th Annual Safety Directors Conference

If you're looking for a convenient way to learn all the latest information on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules and regulations and recent developments affecting workplace safety and health issues, look no further than MCAA's 12th Annual Safety Directors Conference (January 27-29, 2015, San Antonio, TX). Once again, MCAA and CNA are co-sponsoring this important conference for those who protect employee health and safety for the mechanical construction and service industry. In addition to the update on OSHA rules and regulations, the conference will feature Dr. Kevin Elko on How to Achieve Greatness at Work and in Life, sessions on the Physical Effects of Fall Arrest and Effective Rescue Planning, changes to NFPA 70E, Health and Wellness for Mechanical Construction Workers, RF Radiation Exposures and Prevention, and much more. This is also a great forum for building your professional network. Conference details and online registration are available at www.mcaa.org/education/mcaa/safety.

Improve Your Bottom Line with MSCA Dispatcher Training

Service dispatchers are your company's primary representatives with your customers, serving as the epicenter of great customer service. Therefore, investing in these team members is critical to their success and your bottom line. Join MSCA in Cleveland, OH, from March 26-27, 2015, for the Dispatcher Professional Development Training Program. This training will help new and experienced dispatchers understand their true role in the company and advance their careers as they significantly enhance their ability to contribute to your company's success. Register today at http://www.mcaa.org/education/msca/dispatcher. Please contact Sobeida Orantes (saorantes@mcaa.org) with registration questions.

Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois MCA Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) recently received a contribution of $1,000 from the Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois Mechanical Contractors Association, with 50% of the contribution going to MCERF Scholarships. This contribution raised the association's total to $13,000. The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the contribution - especially the scholarship designation - which helps support the Foundation's ongoing education and research activities. As the year comes to a close, consider making a tax-deductible donation to MCERF, which the IRS has designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. Find out more about MCERF programs and activities by visiting www.mcerf.org or contact Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org.

Steve Thomas, MSCA's highest ranked conference speaker to date, will lead MSCA's newest webinar series on team-building. Almost every leader of an organization wants to build a "team" to carry out its mission. But, what does "team" mean? Thomas will teach you what it truly is (and isn't), and how to embody it as a team player and a leader in this six-part series. The first webinar will be held on February 11 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Registration is now open at https://msca.webex.com. Tentative dates for the remaining webinars are April 1, June 3, September 2, November 4, and December 6. This series is free to all MCAA/MSCA members as a benefit. For more information, contact Barbara Dolim (bdolim@mcaa.org).

The MCAA National Update is is a weekly publication of the
Mechanical Contractors Association of America
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Questions? Contact Ann Mattheis, Editor, Phone: 301-869-5800; Fax: 301-990-9690