Leading industry professionals attended the 2010 Partners in Progress conference, March 8-10 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The conference was themed Driving Change, Creating Opportunities, and featured keynote speaker Mark Breslin. His dynamic session – Are Leaders Born Or Are They Made? – involved contractors, apprentices, union officials, and JATC co-ordinators.

Breslin has served as the executive director of the Engineering and Utility Contractors Association, (EUCA) for the last 22 years. His presentation identified the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to grow a generation of successful leaders. He discussed how contractors can identify the potential in their workforce, and what training and support are necessary to foster the leadership of the future.

This year’s conference committee asked, “Do you know who the next generation of leaders in the sheet metal industry will be and why?” Attendees learned what skills and attributes are most valuable, and how to become future leaders.

In a session called Residential + Service Markets = $$$$$, attendees learned how to be successful within the residential and service markets. Since success is a team effort, the session focused on what local unions can do to support contractors in these markets. The session also covered the must-haves when doing business in the residential and service markets, pitfalls to avoid, marketing strategies that work, and who it takes to take advantage of these markets.

The economic climate has created a number of challenges for the union sheet metal industry. Both labour and management are at the crossroads of making some strategic changes in how business is done. A responsive labour-management relationship will make the going a lot easier. To truly succeed, leaders of the industry – business managers, agents, contractors, chapter executives, apprentices, and JATC co-ordinators – all need to participate to hear and be heard. The more voices, the better.

Being a good leader in the industry requires more than just being a skilled craftsman. It requires an understanding of the industry as a whole and the importance of the partnership between union and contractor. Apprenticing tradesmen must acquire management and leadership skills that will enable them to rise up and assume responsibilities.

Sessions at this year’s conference were designed specifically to address questions apprentices may have about the industry and leadership being offered. Additionally, this dynamic program provided apprentices with the opportunity to network with current industry leaders, learn about market share realities and emerging growth markets, and participate in strategic planning on issues facing their area. Input from future leaders is vital to the success of the industry.

This was a unique opportunity for current industry leaders to groom apprentices into higher levels of competency while instilling in them the value of partnership. Visit www.pinp.org/conf10 for more information.