SMACNA & SMART Prioritize People

The importance of making people our priority has been on my mind as the Partners in Progress Conference gets underway in less than a month at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas on Feb. 25-26.

We’ve been getting together for conferences like this for almost 20 years, and the biggest takeaway is that when we allow ourselves to lose focus on the importance of people, positive relationships, and communication, our industry suffers. (Find previous conference materials at pinp.org/conferences.) That’s what you will find in this issue of Partners in Progress—stories about investing in people, from our current workforce (page 4-5) and potential apprentices (pages 6-10 and 14-15) to our customers (pages 12-13). You’ll hear more about these topics—and other best practices that chapters, Locals, cooperation trusts and committees, and training centers across North America have developed to better compete in the current market—by attending the Partners in Progress Conference and bringing along leaders and future leaders who have not attended recently.

SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. and SMACNA President Angela Simon will both be there to provide a message about the importance of going All-In in terms of cooperation if we want the signatory sheet metal industry to thrive. Additional messages will cover going All-In for recruiting and innovation, promoting women and diversity in the workforce, expanding markets with technology, and empowering and inspiring upand-coming leaders. Particularly, don’t miss our State of the Region break-out sessions, developments in health and safety, and the SMACNA/SMART Leadership Forum. Our keynote speaker on the last day is Herm Edwards—Arizona State head football coach, former ESPN football analyst, and NFL head coach and player—who will talk about doing the little things and executing vision.

Another important part of this conference is the Strive to Succeed Challenge. It’s intended to push us forward in our labor-management relationships and encourage us to work together to delve into the needs and opportunities of our local markets. As a bonus, those who participate (local SMART unions, SMACNA chapters, and their contractors) and complete tasks in each of four areas will receive $1,000 to use towards marketing for business or workforce development in their areas.

Phase 1 involves tasks such as completing the 2019 State of Cooperation Survey, registering for the private portion of the Partners in Progress website, fundraising for the 2020 Partners in Progress Conference charity (Project 150), submitting the goals of your labor-management trust/committee, posting to social media during the conference using the hashtags #pinp2020 and #allintosucceed, and identifying as a group one

detailed, specific goal to work on following the conference. (See details of the challenge online at pinp.org/pinp20/striveto-succeed-challenge.) Areas that make it through Phase 1 can receive an additional $2,000 to use towards marketing efforts in their local area by actually building a plan and submitting it to us via email at pinp@smacna.org. The plan can involve one of the following:

 Make an application for an ITI training grant,  Develop a digital marketing plan,  Negotiate a market recovery agreement,  Create/update a recruitment and retention plan, or  Develop a joint labor-management strategic plan.

More and more areas are getting involved. Do you feel overwhelmed about where to get started? Watch a webinar with tips by visiting the Strive to Succeed Challenge page on pinp.org or at vimeo.com/386330815. We’ll see you soon in Las Vegas! ▪

RECRUITMENT TOOLS AVAILABLE

The SMACNA/SMART Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force has developed tools to aid your local recruiting efforts. You (SMACNA and SMART members) are invited to participate in a webinar series. The next webinar is April 13 at 2 p.m. Eastern time (11 a.m. PST). Please join us to learn what is available. We have developed several resources designed to support your recruiting efforts. These resources have been developed nationally and can be customized for your local area to supplement your recruiting efforts. This webinar covers:  A new PowerPoint deck to use promoting your apprentice program to schools and prospective apprentices.  New Brand Ambassador materials that can be used on social media to reach friends and family.  Updated Guidance Counselor Toolkit with collateral for guidance counselors, parents, and students, designed for those who might be good candidates for the sheet metal trade (including Spanish language option).  Details on how your local area can customize the resources for your own needs. Additional information will be available in upcoming issues.