Amerimix
CrewTracks
EZ Scaffold Corp.
EZG Manufacturing
Hydro Mobile, Inc.
Loot
Non-Stop Scaffolding
PROSOCO, Inc.
SOLA/Keson
SPEC MIX LLC
Stabila
Westlake Royal Stone Solutions
Find-a-Contractor Masonry Buyer's Guide
The MCAA is working to recruit high school students to join our industry.
August 2017

Let’s Help Close The Skills Gap

Chairman’s Message

By

I know in my last article I talked almost exclusively about our MCAA Midyear Meeting in Steamboat Springs, Colo. beginning on August 28th, but I need to remind everyone of a few more things.

First of all, this is probably the most important meeting we have all year. This is when we set our committee goals for the coming year and thus the direction the MCAA will go. Members can come to the meetings and express their opinions on the direction they think we should be heading and how we should be getting there. We welcome every member’s opinion and you don’t need to be a committee chairman or even a committee member to express your opinions, just being a member is enough so please join us.

Secondly, if you haven’t registered or reserved a room yet and you would still like to attend, there may still be an opportunity to do that. You’ll need to call the MCAA office and a staff member would be more than happy to help you with the process. I hope to be able to greet and spend time with as many members as possible while we are there. Meeting members and spending some time with them is one of my favorite things to do at the Midyear Meeting because it isn’t such a busy time like our annual meeting in Las Vegas. It is a much more relaxed atmosphere with plenty of time to network with other members.

We all realize the importance of workforce development. We are experiencing an extreme shortage of workforce across the country, both union and open shop. We are doing everything we can to recruit high school students to join our industry. If you have heard or read Mike Rowe, from TV’s Dirty Jobs, you know what he is talking about when he talks about the skills gap. Mike is a very good communicator and talks to anyone that will listen to him about this topic. Businesses need to replace an aging workforce yet the kids coming out of our high schools do not have the skills that business owners are looking for. There are millions of jobs available and the vast majority of them do not require a college degree. The kids that are not going to college are the ones we are looking for to reinforce our workforce. In Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey is promoting the hiring of people that have recently been released from the Department of Corrections. Many of these people have learned the skills we are looking for while incarcerated. I have gone to a couple of career days they hold and interviewed quite a few potential employees. I have recently hired a couple of them and they are working out great. Both have expressed an interest in joining our apprenticeship program in January. I also have another man that was released from DOC three years ago and he is graduating our apprenticeship program in January. This is a success story that I hope we can repeat. These people made a mistake, many of them early in their adulthood and deserve a second chance, let’s give it to them.

Congressman Mark Pocan from Wisconsin, recently introduced legislation that supports and promotes apprenticeship programs that he calls the LEARNS act. This program could increase the number of skilled workers and close the skills gap that currently exists. We hope to be able to work with Rep. Pocan and other members of the Committee on Education and Workforce to make this bill even better. We would like to see block grants given to the States to prepare Middle School students with introductory courses in the building trades and High School students to receive trade specific instruction that could be a major portion of their classroom instruction required in their apprenticeship program. These students would truly be “Career Ready” when they graduate High School and employers would be lining up to hire them. That is what Mike Rowe is talking about when he says we need to close the skills gap. We will urge congress to partner with private industry to develop these programs as we are the ones that know the skills we need from these young folks graduating High School and we are the ones that will be employing them.

Chairman’s Message Archive

The American Dream

August 2019
The American Dream

Doing Our Part

May 2019
Doing Our Part

Preparing for D.C.

April 2019
Preparing for D.C.

Recent Updates

September 2018
Recent Updates

Masonry’s Future

August 2018
Masonry’s Future

Worthwhile Work

June 2018
Worthwhile Work

A New Beginning

February 2018
A New Beginning

Givers Gain

January 2018
Givers Gain

Things to Remember

March 2017
Things to Remember

Looking Forward

February 2017
Looking Forward

A Fresh Start

January 2017
A Fresh Start

Who Moved My Cheese?

September 2016
Who Moved My Cheese?

Giving back

December 2015
Giving back

An exciting year ahead

February 2015
An exciting year ahead

Defining success

December 2014
Defining success

Staying busy for you

August 2014
Staying busy for you

Ready for action

February 2014
Ready for action

Thanks

January 2014
Thanks

Happy holidays

December 2013
Happy holidays

MCAA Midyear update

November 2013
MCAA Midyear update

The MCAA in D.C.

August 2013
The MCAA in D.C.

A Lot Happening

July 2013
A Lot Happening

Eye opening

June 2013
Eye opening

Positive movement

March 2013
Positive movement

Headed to Vegas

February 2013
Headed to Vegas

New beginning

January 2013
New beginning

It’s finally over

December 2012
It’s finally over

My trip to the Rockies

November 2012
My trip to the Rockies

The 2012 election

October 2012
The 2012 election

Stay involved

September 2012
Stay involved

Networking

August 2012
Networking

Summer time

July 2012
Summer time

Exciting time

June 2012
Exciting time

Working for you

May 2012
Working for you

New beginnings

March 2012
New beginnings

Farewell!

February 2012
Farewell!

One more to go!

January 2012
One more to go!

Join us in Vegas

November 2011
Join us in Vegas

As the world turns

August 2011
As the world turns

A Bright Future

May 2011
A Bright Future

Tidbits From MCAA

March 2011
Tidbits From MCAA

Time Flies By

February 2011
Time Flies By

The End of the Year

December 2010
The End of the Year

Busy Times!

November 2010
Busy Times!

South of 40

October 2010
South of 40

What Are We Doing?

August 2010
What Are We Doing?

Moving Forward

March 2010
Moving Forward

A Fond Farewell

February 2010
A Fond Farewell

A New Year

January 2010
A New Year

Start the Year Strong

December 2009
Start the Year Strong

MCAA in D.C.

September 2009
MCAA in D.C.

Brick Voids

August 2009
Brick Voids

Vision 2020

February 2009
Vision 2020

State of the Association

February 2009
State of the Association

The Silver Lining

January 2009
The Silver Lining

Impact on the Hill

June 2008
Impact on the Hill

New Horizons

February 2008
New Horizons

Wrapping up Another Year

December 2007
Wrapping up Another Year

Greetings From Italy!

November 2007
Greetings From Italy!

We Need Your Help!

January 2005
We Need Your Help!

The Strength of Unity

November 2003
The Strength of Unity

Changing of the Guard

February 2002
Changing of the Guard

“The amount of information that is at your finger tips is unbelievable.”

Richard Felice
Forrest & Associate, Inc.
MCAA member since 1963

Learn More