December 04, 2006 12:32 PM CST

Contractor Certification to Raise Standards

By Michael Adelizzi

The Mason Contractors Association of America Board of Directors approved the establishment of a far reaching national certification program for the industry's twenty thousand contractors. For decades, the masonry industry and the association dealt with the problem of unqualified contractors being selected on the basis of a low bid without the capability of building the job that they just won. The end result was a poorly constructed project and an unhappy customer.

Over the coming year, contractors will have the opportunity to earn the two hundred educational credits that are required to become eligible to sit for the new national certification exam which will begin being offered beginning in the fall of 2007. In addition to the earned educational credits, one hundred percent of a contractors supervisory personnel must achieve fifteen educational credits. The final requirement for contractors to become eligible is a completion on the Masonry Quality Institute (MQI) and a course on the masonry code. Once earned, certification will be good for three years during which time; contractors will be able to earn continuing educational units to maintain their certification beyond the three year period.

The most critical resource any contractor has is their people. When a contractor invests in the professional development of a company's employees as well as the owner and by striving to become certified you will:

• Increase confidence that your employees understand their profession and will become motivated to meet customer requirements without mistakes.
  
• Raise the confidence of customers by showing that your firm is committed to excellence and have the skill level to deliver that excellence.
  
• Set your company apart from your competitors
  
• Strengthen employee loyalty and productivity through their professional development
  
• Establish benchmarks for hiring and promotion
  
• Develop a new culture of professionalism within your employee ranks
  
• Expect a hire degree of efficient and ethical behavior

Bottom-line, becoming certified gives you as well as your company recognition in a highly competitive environment.

And to help that recognition, the MCAA has already begun prompting our new national certification program to industry customer groups such as architects, specifiers, government and private sector groups to gain their support for specifying certified contractors on their projects.

For further information about MCAA's National Certification Program, call the association office at 800-536-2225.

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About the Author

Michael Adelizzi was the Executive Director of the Mason Contractors Association of America.