Masonry Magazine December 1999 Page. 13
Recruitment & Training
Continued from page 11
Like other areas of the country, Local 21 has found "real world" experiences for the pre-apprentices and apprentices. Recently, the pre-apprentices and trainers built a barbecue pit for the Kingswood United Methodist Church. They traveled 40 miles each way for five days to complete this project.
Middleton, Massachusetts
At the North Shore Technical High School, three full-time masonry instructors are employed. The 9th grade program is exploratory and then students are placed in their permanent trade area in grade 10. The school operates on a week on / week off cycle with students working in their trade one week and in academic subjects the other.
According to Joseph Balzarini, a masonry instructor at North Shore Technical High School, there are currently 36 students in grades 10-12 enrolled in the masonry program. The school has a 90% placement rate in the masonry field for their students including the opportunity to further their education at technical colleges or community colleges or to go to work immediately within one of the local bricklayer unions.
Tyngsboro, Massachusetts
According to Peter LeBlanc at the Greater Lowell Technical High School, there are currently fifty 10th-12th grade students enrolled in the school's masonry program. The training includes all aspects of the industry including laying to the line, building leads, brick arches, stairs, chimneys and fireplaces, brick walls, corners, brick paving, plan reading and estimating. In addition, many of the students are involved in the Vocational and Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) program.
For practical experience, the school does not have an outside building program; however, the students still have the opportunity to do on-site projects. Currently, they are involved in building a 10,500 square foot masonry warehouse, a masonry field house and several other masonry projects.
St. Louis, Missouri
Stephen W. Martini, Instructor/ Coordinator for the Bricklayers' Union, Local No. 1 of Missouri, AFL-CIO Apprenticeship and Training Trust, reports that they currently have 110 registered apprentices in their program, a 10% increase over last year. In addition, 95% of their students stay in the program through completion and become journeyman bricklayers. Unfortunately, this number is declining as more students are quitting or are being rescinded at their employer's request.
Some of the critical issues facing the St. Louis area are keeping employers involved and supportive of employee training, recruiting quality applicants for the training program and convincing employers to continue training journeymen by sending them to college level classes.
Omaha, Nebraska
1999 marks the fourth straight year that Nebraska Concrete Masonry Association, Larson Cement Stone and Watkins Concrete Block provided a free pre-apprentice class. Over the last two years of the course, they have Continued on next page
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1999 13