National Education Institute

In labor negotiations, preparation and unity are key. Unions often excel with focused leadership, but many multi-employer associations lack readiness and cohesion, resulting in unintended outcomes. Beyond wages, the bargaining committee must pay attention to potentially poorly written provisions and other elements that can lead to future misunderstandings and disputes.

As we face expiring long-term contracts and the retirement of experienced members, many bargaining committee members and association staff are new to negotiations. They may know the Union and the work itself, but they may not be fully aware of all the responsibilities involved in multi-employer bargaining. This program is custom designed to provide the tools and knowledge for effective multi-employer bargaining, transforming unprepared committees into confident, unified teams.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Ed Kommers include:

• CBS 101: Collective Bargaining – Empowering the Negotiation Committee Through Training and Preparation
• CBS 102: Collective Bargaining – Advanced Bargaining Preparation – Its “Crunch” time!

These seminars are designed for leaders, sales employees, project managers, or anyone looking to improve their aptitude. They focus on customer interactions, relationships and service. Learn where other companies drop the ball and how you can avoid those same mistakes.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Frank Favaro include:

CES 101: Service Excellence Made Simple 
CES 102: Proven Customer Acquisition Strategies
CES 103: Growth Through Retention – Expanding Business Without Chasing Strangers
CES 104: Climbing to the Top of the Relationship Ladder 
CES 105: Effectively Navigating Pricing Conversations
CES 106: Service Recovery: Turning Mistakes into Wins
CES 107: The Recognition Advantage: How to Make Work Fun, Competitive & Performance-Driven
CES 108: The Customer Service Secrets of Industry Leaders
CES 109: Coaching Managers to Be Coaches: Developing High-Performing Leaders
CES 110: Frontline Excellence: Nailing Customer Interactions

In this class attendees will learn how to:
1) How to Keep More of the Business You Have
2) How to Build Breakthrough Relationships With Your Clients
3) Telephone and Field Soft Skills Transfer
4) How to Deal with an Angry Customer (and turn him into a Raving Fans)
5) How to Generate Endless Referrals from the Field
6) 10 Strategies Every Manager Needs to Know and Adopt
7) The Value of Appreciation, Respect and Understanding
8) Generating Leads and New Business from the Field (Increasing Revenue without Increasing Overhead!)

This class is ideal for office staff, technicians, supervisors and foremen, sales people, GM’s and service manager.

This course is eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Mark Matteson include:

CSE 101: Sales Success Strategies

These seminars are designed for those who are interested in implementing or developing fabrication operations. Project Managers, New and Existing Fab Shop Managers, Field Personnel, Project Managers, Operations Managers, and Company Executives interested in starting or expanding their fabrication process. Regardless of your company’s current capacity, there is opportunity to develop processes that lead to increased project success and profitability, by transforming the way you look at fabrication.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Greg Fuller include:

FAB 101: The Evolution of Fabrication I: Why, How and When (Now)
FAB 102: The Evolution of Fabrication II: Implementing Manufacturing Process for the Construction Industry

This series will highlight how interactions with coworkers, other tradespeople and the end users can help (or hurt) the direct cost of union tradespeople. As well as how decisions impact safety, insurance, profits and overall company culture at every level of a project. The communication and cooperation between the Project Manager, Detailing Department (VDC) and field leadership sets the tone for the success of any organization. This session will educate ALL sides on what the other is dealing with on a daily basis to better understand how their roles can be improved through leadership, communication and education.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Mark Rogers include:

FFLD 101: The Foreman’s Impact on Profitability 
FFLD 102: High Impact Leadership: Leading Beyond the Project 
FFLD 103: The Real Cost of a Manhour

Field leaders of all experience levels will find great value in these seminars. They are specifically directed to junior and senior level field leadership personnel such as “future” foremen, foremen, general foremen, project superintendents, general superintendents, etc.

These courses are subsidized by MCAA. No rebate is available.

Seminars taught by John Koontz, MCAA Director, Project Management Education, include:

• FLE 100: Planning Skills for Foremen
• FLE 101: Productivity Improvement for Mechanical Projects
• FLE 102: The Foreman’s Role in Project Documentation
• FLE 103: Managing Labor: Coding, Tracking, and Forecasting
• FLE 104: Essential Management Skills for the Project Foreman
• FLE 105: Managing Change at the Jobsite
• FLE 106: Successful Survival of Project Closeout
• FLE 107: Critical Leadership Skills for Project Foremen
• FLE 108: Everyday Negotiating Skills for Jobsite Supervisors
• FLE 109: Managing Your Subcontractors
• FLE 110: Practical Time Management Skills for Project Foremen
• FLE 111: Qualities, Characteristics, and Habits of the Industry’s Best Field Leaders

Fundamental leadership skills every field leader must know, believe in, and be able to apply in practical and consistent ways to drive long term success for individuals, crews, projects, and organizations.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Leah Gutmann include:

FLS 100: The Respected Field Leader
FLS 101: Communication
FLS 102: Emotional Intelligence
FLS 103: Conflict Management
FLS 104: Coaching and Mentoring
FLS 105: The Field Team
FLS 106: Organize, Prioritize, and Delegate
FLS 107: The Business of the Mechanical Contracting Business
FLS 108: Happiness Skills

Through a series of questions about the audience, area of focus, market, organizational structure, and depth of required knowledge, Leah will create a workshop or series of workshops specifically addressing desired objectives and application of construction and service financial knowledge. Target audiences can range from service teams and technicians to project managers and support staff and to field crews and supervision. Workshops address foundational, intermediate, or advanced topics for your identified group and will include direct application and practice to relevant projects, service work, and company financials.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Leah Gutmann include:

FDS 100: Mechanical Service Financial Management
FDS 101: Financial Management for The Project Manager – The Basics
FDS 102: Construction Foundations for Foremen
FDS 103: Financial Management for the Mechanical Contractor
FDS 104: Mechanical Construction: The Bigger Financial Picture

These seminars are designed to focus on the building blocks of what makes a healthy and successful service company, with an emphasis on customer service, team-building and effective communication.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Woody Woodall include:

• FOS 100: Customer Service Class Outline
• FOS 101: Project Management for Service Outline
• FOS 102: Transition from Field Tech to Office Professional

These seminars are specifically directed to junior and senior level project management personnel such as field engineers, project engineers, assistant project managers, project managers, senior project managers, estimators, senior estimators, etc.

These courses are subsidized by MCAA. No rebate is available.

Seminars taught by John Koontz, MCAA Director, Project Management Education, include:

• FPM 100: Planning Skills for the Project Team
• FPM 101: Productivity Improvement for Mechanical Projects
• FPM 102: Using the Contract as a Tool for Project Management
• FPM 103: Fundamentals of Job Cost Control
• FPM 104: Time Management Skills and Managing Multiple Projects
• FPM 105: Effective Project Documentation
• FPM 106: Change Order Management: Best Practices for Success
• FPM 107: Project Billings and Maintaining Positive Cash Flow
• FPM 108: Essential Management Skills for the Project Manager
• FPM 109: Basic Negotiating Skills for Project Managers
• FPM 110: Mechanical Scheduling: Project Leader vs. Project Follower–Understanding the Basics
• FPM 111: Critical Leadership Skills for Project Managers
• FPM 112: Profitability Managing Your Subcontractors
• FPM 113: Successful Survival of Project Closeout
• FPM 114: Best Practices of Blue Chip Mechanical Project Managers

Training and knowledge equate to competitive advantage. During these classes, participants will learn how to transfer their knowledge through well designed and strategically structured training sessions. Perfect for JATC instructors, Association Instructors, or Organization Subject Matter Experts wanting to learn how increase retention of material, connect with students, and transfer critical industry knowledge to the next generation. All classes are adapted to fit the needs of each instructor group and their application to the mechanical construction industry. These Workshops are offered individually or as a series.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Leah Gutmann include:

ITS 101: Foundations of Adult Learning
ITS 102: Class Design and Development Skills
ITS 103: Finding Your Presentation Superpowers
ITS 104: There’s an Activity for That
ITS 105: Teaching to the Generations
ITS 106: The Virtual Instructor Tool Kit

Every member of your field and office leadership team will benefit from the Job and Company Operations Seminars. Developing highly trained field and office personnel with good operational practices and solid procedures will lead to more productive projects, reduced duplication of effort, and allow your company to measure tangible results.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Kathryn Crosby include:

• JCO 100: Introduction to Project Management
• JCO 101: Successful Business Communications–It Begins at the Beginning
• JCO 102: Construction–A People Business
• JCO 103: Contract Language–What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
• JCO 104: Dealing With Difficult People at Work
• JCO 105: The Art of Being an Effective Manager
• JCO 106: Written Communication Skills
• JCO 107: Managing Your Cash Flow
• JCO 108: Control Your Life by Controlling Your Time
• JCO 109: Understanding and Resolving Conflict
• JCO 110: Interpersonal Skills of the Project Team
• JCO 111: The Business of Contracting: Back to the Basics
• JCO 112: Basic Business Writing for Foremen and Service Technicians
• JCO 113: Managing Project Risk with Solid Documentation
• JCO 114: Financial Statements–What You Always Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask
• JCO 115: Construction Financial Management–It’s More than Accounting
• JCO 116: General Conditions of the Contract
• JCO 117: Knowing the Score – Understanding the Impact of Project Forecasting
• JCO 118: The Profitability of Safety
• JCO 119: Safety–the Foreman’s Critical Role
• JCO 120: Knowing the Craft is Not Enough
• JCO 121: The Successful Entrepreneur 
• JCO 122: Re-Energize Your Workforce
• JCO 123: Construction Finance Fundamentals – What your accountant wants you to know
• JCO 124: Navigating the Numbers – Business Finance for Mechanical Service Professionals
  
   

The Leadership Access Institute is designed for emerging & high potential leaders, executives, managers and supervisors. It is here to help them communicate better as well as solve problems, negotiate, understand diversity in the workplace, handle conflicts and understand better business etiquette.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by C. Richard Barnes include:

LAI 101: Foundational, Essential and Transformative Skills (Part 1) 
LAI 102: Foundational, Essential and Transformative Skills (Part 2)
LAI 103: Strategic Negotiation Skills (Session 1) 
LAI 104: Strategic Negotiation Skills (Session 2) 
LAI 105: Leading Focused Conversations
LAI 106: Briefing, Educational and Speech Techniques (Part 1)
LAI 107: Advanced Public Speaking Skills
LAI 108: 8 Soft Skills for the Hard-Nose Leader

These seminars are designed for management level employees or anyone that leads a team. They focus on building strong communication skills and self awareness in order to be a successful leader.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Leah Gutmann include:

LDS 101: Conflict: Leadership in Action
LDS 102: Decision Making – Getting Better and More Impactful Results
LDS 103: Effective Communication in the Workplace
LDS 104: Emotional Intelligence
LDS 105: Building Effective Relationship in The Workplace
LDS 106: Successful Teams in the Mechanical Contracting Industry
LDS 107: “Sticky” Change: Gaining Commitment and Implementing Change that has Staying Power
LDS 108: Accountability: You, Your Team, and Your Organization
LDS 109: The Situational Leader: Critical Development Tools for the Mechanical Contractor
LDS 110: Time Management: Prioritize, Delegate, and Create Time to Get Important Things Accomplished
LDS 111: Discover and Leverage Your Strengths For Results that Matter
LDS 112: Effective Delegation
LDS 113: Fierce Conversations
LDS 114: Motivation in the Workplace
LDS 115: Leveraging Generational Differences in the Workplace
LDS 116: Coaching and Mentoring – The Foundation of Field Leadership
LDS 117: Present With Confidence
LDS 118: Happiness: Owning Your 40
LDS 119: Hogan Assessment Workshop: Learn to use the Hogan Assessment to Achieve Goals and Build Long Lasting Relationships
LDS 120: Goal Setting and Coaching

The Legal and Risk Management Seminars were created to help contractors better understand the risks imposed on their company throughout a contract and how to handle them. Learn how to identify risks, shift risks and negotiate terms, deal with government contracts, handle labor and best practices to maintain an ethics and compliance program.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Charles F. Mitchell include:

• LRM 101: Contracts & Contract Management
• LRM 102: Project Risk Management
• LRM 103: Fundamentals of Federal Government Contracting
• LRM 104: Change Order and Claim Management
• LRM 105: Labor and Employment Disputes
• LRM 106: Ethics and Compliance
• LRM 107: Financially Distressed Contractors
• LRM 108: The Legal Landscape in 2025 and Beyond

This seminar is directed towards individuals with at least 5-10 years of experience in managing mechanical construction projects. Company leadership and experienced project management personnel will find great value in the class.

These courses are subsidized by MCAA. No rebate is available.

Seminars taught by John Koontz, MCAA Director, Project Management Education, include:

OS 100: Creating Highly Effective Foremen/Project Manager Partnerships
OS 101: Inside the Great Mechanical Contractors: How do the “Great” Differ from the “Good”?
OS 102: Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime: Understanding and Using the MCAA Management Methods Committee Developed Manual

The Mechanical Industry’s best Project Managers focus on skills that go beyond budgets and schedules. Top tier Project Managers know that our industry is people driven. In order to achieve outcomes beyond base level expectations, Project Managers must be able to motivate, build trust, and tap into the individual greatness of themselves and those around them. This unique series is created specifically for Project Managers and will teach essential tools needed to gain respect, get noticed, and be the project leader others follow because they want to, not because they have to.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Leah Gutmann include:

PML 100: Core Leadership Skills for the Project Manager
PML 101: Leveraging Strengths to Achieve Your Goals
PML 102: Keys to Communication as a Project Manager
PML 103: Project Management the EQ Way
PML 104: Conflict Management
PML 105: The Critical Project Decision Maker
PML 106: Successful Project Teams
PML 107: Change Management: How to get Change to Stick
PML 108: Managing Key Stakeholder Relationships
PML 109: Presentation Skills

These seminars are a must for all Project Managers, Assistant Project Managers and Estimators looking to learn and enhance their skillset.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Troy Aichele include:

• PMT 101: Change Order Bootcamp
• PMT 102: Mechanical Blueprint Reading
• PMT 103: Estimating
• PMT 104: Scheduling from an MEP Perspective
• PMT 105: How to Build a Mechanical Schedule
• PMT 106: Managing the Fabrication, Shop Drawings & BIM Process
• PMT 107: Turnover, Kick-Off and Pre-Construction Planning Meetings
• PMT 108: Project Interviews – Preparation is the Separation
• PMT 109: Best Leadership Practices for Project Managers
• PMT 110: Difficult Conversations, Feedback, and Delegation
• PMT 111: Situational Leadership and Team Building

Company principals, top executives, foremen and key project management staff will learn to improve jobsite and office productivity, while enhancing the value delivered to customers. These seminars will help one better understand the construction process, the keys to productivity, and what can be done to maximize jobsite profitability.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Tom Williams include:

• PP 100: Changing Behavior on a Problem Job
• PP 101: Jobsite Productivity: How to Protect It…How to Improve It
• PP 102: Six Habits of the Highly Productive Foreman
• PP 103: Six Habits of the Highly Productive Project Manager
• PP 104: Managing Change Orders and Documenting Construction Disputes
• PP 105: Developing a Competitive Edge Through Planning
• PP 106: Communication for Foremen and Project Managers

Success in the Mechanical Service Industry requires a wide range of skills to successfully navigate a variety of relationships and challenges unique to the service business. Through this program participants will learn how to apply critical leadership skills to real service team problems. The program is designed to build confidence at the individual and team level. Everyone participating will leave with tools and strategies that can be applied immediately to improve results at all levels.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Leah Gutmann include:

SLS 100: Leveraging Strengths to Achieve Your Goals
SLS 101: Keys to Communication
SLS 102: Emotional Intelligence
SLS 103: Conflict Management: The Service Team and Beyond
SLS 104: Mechanical Service Financial Management
SLS 105: Critical Thinking and Decision Making
SLS 106: Successful Service Teams
SLS 107: Change Management: How to get Change to Stick
SLS 108: Managing Key Stakeholder Relationships
SLS 109: Presentation Skill
SLS 110: 1:1 Coaching Option

These seminars are designed for service professionals to enhance the company’s strength in providing quality service to their customers. The series covers fundamental principals of effective leadership and communication, the value of customer service and more.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Kevin Dougherty include:

• STS 101: Delivering the Ultimate Service Experience: A Guide For Technicians
• STS 102: How to Find Train Motivate and Retain Employees
• STS 103: How to Get the Job at Your Price
• STS 104: Providing Professional Customer Service
• STS 105: Developing Frontline Leadership
• STS 106: Making the Number Work
• STS 107: Selling and Marketing Construction Products and Services
• STS 108: Dealing with Difficult People in Construction: Get Even the Most Difficult Person to Act Civilized
• STS 109: Growing and Developing Supervisors
• STS 110: Thriving as a Contractor
• STS 111: Getting More Done Turning Today’s Rat Race into a Productive Workplace
• STS 112: Front Line Project Profitability
• STS 113: Turning Your Takeoff into a Winning Proposal
• STS 114: Boosting Profits through Employee Cost Awareness
• STS 115: Planning, Goal Setting and Performance Improvement
• STS 116: Supervisory Training
• STS 117: Enhancing Sales from The Top
• STS 118: Field Based Project Management: Closing the Gap Between the Office and Field
• STS 119: How to Survive and Prosper in the Contracting Market
• STS 120: Strategies for Buying and Selling a Business
• STS 121: Understanding the Importance of Properly Communicating Throughout the Project
• STS 122: How to be a More Effective Foreman
• STS 123: Customized and Tailored Programs

Owners, management team and project managers will benefit from these seminars built to help you strategically manage risk. You will gain insights into proven methods for developing effective strategic plans and key factors to implement and maintain them. Best of Class focus on key areas like” cash, risk, profit and family dynamics give participants great “take-home” value that can be implemented at once.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Seminars taught by Jim McCarl include:

• SM 100: Strategic Planning–Your Springboard To Success
• SM 101: Advanced Strategic Planning Workshop
• SM 102: Risk Management for the Savvy Mechanical Contractor
• SM 103: Succession Planning…or Else
• SM 104: Profit Is Not a Dirty Word
• SM 105: Cash is King
• SM 106: How to Build a “Best of Class” Company
  – Session One: A Different DEJA-VU
  – Session Two: Proactive Planning
• SM 107: The forgotten heroes….our support team.

Regardless of how successful your company is, the challenges to remain successful are daunting. Don’t think so? Only 1/3 of private/family-owned businesses survive from a first to second generation and less than 15% survive from a second to third generation. This course may be the most important education ever received as it may literally mean the difference in if your company survives. You’ll learn how to avoid mistakes that are common to so many business owners and learn tax mitigation strategies that depending on your business/estate size may save millions of dollars in taxes that otherwise will be owed.

These courses are eligible for a 20% rebate on instructor fees, up to $5,000 per class. This benefit is available only to MCAA members and local affiliates in good standing who book courses via the NEI Initiative portal.

Classes taught by Terry & Lee Resnick include:

SPS 101: Assuring the Successful Continuation of Your Company – Navigating the Challenges of Upcoming Federal Tax Law Change