Masonry Magazine May 2002 Page. 20
TRAINING &
RECRUITING
part time for mason contractors. This employment usually evolves into full time once a student graduates.
The NTC program is very active in SkillsUSA - VICA and has represented the state of Oklahoma at the the national competition in Kansas City for six consecutive years. In 1996, an NTC student took first place at the national competition. NTC has also had a competitor in the 1997 VICA international competition held in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Media, Pennsylvania
The Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades' masonry program has been in existence since 1891. When endowing the school in 1888, founder Isaiah V. Williamson wrote of the importance at his school of "...the proper training and education of youth to habits of industry and economy and the importance of their learning a trade so that they may be able to earn their living by the labor of the hands..." and that "poor and deserving boys could be gratuitously instructed in the rudiments of a good English education and what is of equal, if not greater impor- tance, trained to habits of industry and economy and taught such mechanical trades...suited to their several capaci- ties." To that end, they have been teaching masonry for 112 years and presently have 31 students enrolled in the three-year program.
Students in the program have the opportunity to work on masonry proj ects in the masonry shop, on the 220- acre campus, and in off-campus com- munity service projects. In addition, this year, for the first time, instructor Daniel Hiltebeitel has initiated a coop- erative education program for seniors in their spring semester in which they work eight hours, three days per week for one of several local mason contrac- tors and gain experience unavailable in the workshop.
Mr. Williamson expressed concern about young men serving an appren- ticeship and earning a living by the la- bor of their hands. The masonry grad- uates are given advanced placement in the apprenticeship program and cur- rently the Williamson School places an average of six apprentices per year with Philadelphia area contractors. For more information, see their website at www.williamsonschool.org.
Scranton, Pennsylvania
According to Joe Pinto, Trowel Trades Instructor at the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County, the school has been involved in the Trowel Trades Program since 1972. The three- year program, which consists of block, brick, stone, concrete, plaster and tile, has an average of 30 students per year. The students have completed several projects on and off campus including a poured concrete footer, a block founda- tion and brick veneer on local house. They have also poured several con- crete wheelchair ramps this year. The project students seem to enjoy most, however, is the fireplace project, in which the students each year build a fireplace for the Christmas party.
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