b'MCAC COMMITTED TOGROWING THE MECHANICALCONTRACTING INDUSTRYNew programs and special projects are dedicated to attracting and retaining skilled workers as the industry keeps up with demandTANIA JOHNSTON, MCA Canada Executive Director, Education & Special ProjectsA cross the country and the mechanical contracting industry,Another initiative that has continued to grow, and of which one topic of discussion always seems to come up: there isMCAC is extremely proud, is the Richard McKeagana continued need for skilled workers in our industry, andScholarship Series. that need is not expected to go away.Combined, this program sees more than $26,000 annually in According to figures and projections from BuildForce Canada,financial assistance provided to university, college and apprentice the Canadian construction industry will need to recruit anstudents studying in the mechanical fields, including scholarships additional 300,200 workers by the year 2028 to replace morespecifically for women in the mechanical field and First Nations than 260,000 retiring workers and keep up with anticipatedstudents pursuing an education in the trades.demand. The retirements alone reflect 22 per cent of the current labour force. The Scholarship Series is maintained through the support of The numbers are staggering, especially when considering howMCACs Associate Members, MCAC Members, and our Partners, long it can take to train and educate a skilled workforce. Andincluding Federated, Taco Comfort Solutions, Franke Kindred, attracting these new workers means that our industry and ourOS&B, Bradford White Canada, Masco, Wolseley Canada, association will need to be agile, creative and innovative.Uponor, DMS Industrial Constructors, Lowe Mechanical, MCA Hamilton-Niagara and Reliance Worldwide Canada.(As a side note, MCAC has an excellent session at its 2019 Annual Conference in Nashville, October 2-5. BuildForce Canadas ChiefBUILDFORCE CANADA DATA HAS Economist Bob Collins will be on hand to provide an outlook on the construction industry and mechanical contracting sector. It isSHOWN THAT WOMEN REPRESENT definitely worth checking out if this topic is of interest to you).ONLY 13 PER CENT OF THE As the national association and unified voice of the mechanical contracting industry in Canada, the Mechanical ContractorsCONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE Association of Canada (MCAC) understands the importance of this issue. The workers in our industry remain some of the mostINDUSTRY LABOUR FORCE, AND LESS skilled and valuable on any construction project, and if we are to meet the anticipated demands facing construction in Canada,THAN FOUR PER CENT OF WORKERS we must ensure there is a capable and available group of skilledEMPLOYED ON JOBSITES. workers that our members can rely on. To address this, MCAC has undertaken several new initiatives,By the time of this printing, the scholarships for 2019 will while considering where these new workers may come from.have been awarded for the next academic year. However, given One such initiative we are particularly proud of is the Women inthe continued growth of this program, I would encourage Mechanical Construction Initiative, or WiMC.all members to visit our website to find out more about the program, and to help share this important initiative with students BuildForce Canada data has shown that women represent onlywho are trying to work in the mechanical contracting sector. 13 per cent of the construction and maintenance industryAs mentioned, these are just two of the important initiatives labour force, and less than four per cent of workers employed oncurrently underway at MCAC to help address labour shortages, jobsites. Nationally, however, women make up 48 per cent of theand to attract new entrants to our industry. We also continue to workforce. This disparity is exactly what WiMC is intendedto address.work closely with provincial- and zone-MCAs across Canada, as well as several like-minded organizations to collaborate on this Specifically, the initiative was developed to promote inclusivenessissue. It is a significant undertaking, and it cannot bein the mechanical contracting industry, while inviting women totaken lightly. share experiences, explore new opportunities and learn new skills to assist in career advancement.But whether it is through the work of WiMC, the Richard But more importantly, it is serving as a way to engage theMcKeagan Scholarship Series, or through any other initiatives or entire industry in a dialogue about how we can work togetherspecial projects that may arise, one thing is certain: MCAC will to promote the mechanical contracting sector as a viable andremain committed to this very important issue. attractive career opportunity for women.Our industry depends on it.14 www.mcac.ca'