Report of the MCAA Workforce Development Committee

Words: Moroni Mejia

NCCER

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the MCAA and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) formalizing a partnership between the two organizations. The revision of NCCER's masonry training curriculum began in October.

Members of the Workforce Development Committee joined subject matter experts from around the country at NCCER's headquarters to participate in a detailed review of the Masonry Level One book. The second meeting will be held in Dallas later this month. The curriculum review meetings will continue until all three volumes of the masonry curriculum have been reviewed and validated. Once the review is complete, focus will shift to developing the Mason Tender Training Curriculum and establishing a written and practical Mason Journey Level Assessment.

Skills USA and Workforce Development Forum

Kansas City was once again host to an outstanding Skills USA National Masonry Competition in June. An in-person Workforce Development discussion was held during the contestant/instructor luncheon in conjunction with the National Masonry Instructors Association. With the Brick Industry Association's and Skills USA's support a more in depth meeting will be held this year.

World of Concrete Competitions

The Fastest Trowel on the Block and International Masonry Skills Challenge will both be held during Masonry Madness on Wednesday, February 6 at the World of Concrete. The Skills Challenge contest area has been moved to the Gold Lot and will be used as a walkway into the BRICKLAYER 500 and Fastest Trowel contest areas. All eyes will be on the contests as we celebrate the best of our workforce.
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon