b'PAST PRESIDENTS MESSAGEDEREK ERMEN, Outgoing MCAC President and Chair, 2022/2023UNITY WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE US STRONGERA s a national association representing close toImmigration1,000 firms across Canada, the MechanicalAnother critical area for our sector relates to Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC)immigration. Like many other industries in faces an ongoing challenge of finding commonCanada, the issue of immigration is closely tied to ground and promoting best practices across theour sectors ability to meet capacity and address country. This means balancing the needs of manyconstruction needs across the country. Advocating stakeholders in our industry, while also keeping infor pragmatic immigration policies is just one area mind the underlying mission and vision of where MCAC can step in, and we must continue the association. to impress on government the need for a flexible Throughout this past year as president and chairand efficient immigration program that meets the of MCAC, I have had the opportunity to seeunique needs of our industry.firsthand how delicate this balancing act can be. In an industry as diverse as the mechanical contractingIndustry Best Practicessector, there is no shortage of views that need to beOne of the ongoing and important roles of our considered and addressed before determining thenational association will continue to be the pursuit most appropriate step from a national perspective. and promotion of industry best practices. As a While this diversity has the potential to lead tounited group, our ability to share knowledge, fragmentation, the value of a national associationexchange ideas and promote these standards is a is in the ability to bring together this complex webbenefit not only to our collective membership, but of viewpoints and, most importantly, to createalso to the industry as a whole. Our association consensus on the critical issues impacting our sector. should continue to focus on how best practices can As I saw over this past year, and as we look to thebe further developed and applied in order to assist coming years ahead, I believe more than ever thatour members in their business.a strong and united association will be essential forLooking ahead, it is important to reiterate the value our industrys success, particularly as we face theof a unified national association. As our industry challenges of workforce development, advocacy andfaces the challenges and opportunities in the years sector promotion, and industry best practices. ahead, a strong and vibrant MCAC will serve to Workforce Development amplify our industrys voice and showcase the When I stepped into the role of president andimportant role this sector plays in the day-to-day chair last year, one of the key principles I wantedlives of Canadians.to highlight was the need to celebrate the value ofAs contractors and business people, it is sometimes our workers. For too long our country has taken for granted the hard work done by contractors anddifficult to think of our day-to-day challenges in their employees; instead, we need to more activelya national context. Many of our issues occur in celebrate the work we do. a rapidly changing environment and need to be As we look ahead to the future, and as our membersaddressed quickly in order to keep business running continue to face labour shortages across the country,smoothly and effectively. Oftentimes, the issue may the role of MCAC becomes even more important.not even be raised to the national level.As a national association, we have the opportunityHowever, in my time at MCACas both a board to showcase the value of our members, their workersmember and as presidentI have witnessed and this sector. We also play a critical role inhow effective a national association can be when shaping the narrative around what it means to workissues are raised to this level. While we may not in the mechanical contracting sector, and just howalways agree, the discussion of industry issues, important this industry truly is. consensus building and action taken by our national By working together in a collective way throughassociation only serves to make our industry MCAC, we can continue to advocate strongly forstronger going forward.investments in education, training and promotion, all of which will benefit the entire industry. As the old saying goes, a high tide raises all ships.6 www.mcac.ca'