Masonry Magazine April 2004 Page. 23
The MCAA must provide the leadership to ensure that our industry attracts and trains the labor force we need. And that leadership calls for unique ways to battle outdated methods of addressing our labor needs.
For decades, our industry has only engaged in workforce recruitment and training when our economy was booming, and even then, only after we experienced shortfalls, did we begin to act. Then we abandoned recruiting efforts when the economy slowed. I am proud the MCAA is breaking that trend and keeping our focus on recruiting. This past year we contacted over 17,000 high schools in an attempt to place masonry vocational information in career libraries across the United States. To date, over 1,400 high schools have responded and over half of the schools have received their career information. Currently, the MCAA is soliciting sponsorship funding to ship the remaining career kits. Because of this effort, we now have a database of over 1,400 high school guidance counselors who will be contacted regularly about careers available in masonry. This high school career initiative will be a focal point of our recruitment efforts until all of our nation's 17,000 high schools have information about careers in masonry. No doubt a monumental campaign, and one that will allow our industry to attract the brightest students to our trade.
The MCAA web site is also playing a role in our recruitment and training efforts. Today, nearly 100 masonry training programs are listed on our career site where interested people can find the masonry training facility closest to their homes. The nation's high schools can also refer to our site to direct students to the nearest facility to gather more information about training opportunities. Our Masonry Skills Challenge continues to create local interest in apprenticeship training. The Skills Challenge will play an expanded role in 2005 as we partner with the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). We believe that, as the
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