Fechino Files: The Mortar Net Solutions Masonry Apprentice Scholarship

Words: Steven Fechino

The Mortar Net Solutions Masonry Apprentice Scholarship is open for applicants to apply for the 2023 November presentation. Scholarships are typically applied for by an instructor, Working Mentor or an Employer that has that special student that works hard every day. This year Mortar Net Solutions will offer 40 scholarships that support the Masonry trade, the Tile Setting Trade as well as the Stucco Trade. 

Requirements for the applicant are very simple, the student must have at least one year of training remaining before they top out, a student should desire to stay in the trades as a journeyman once they achieve that status, and they should benefit from the scholarship as it is designed to help keep the student that is working hard to achieve journeyman status, not for the student that is walking into a family-owned company where he will have it easy.  

The Apprentice Scholarship does not have a cost to the student, teacher or the training facility. The cost of the tools and equipment that are part of the tool bag are donated by Mortar Net Solutions and the masonry suppliers that support this industry with quality products that we use every day. The tool bag will be accompanied by a $350.00 check (is requested by the instructor once the scholarship tool bag is received) to partially cover some of the student's quarterly tuition.

Mortar Net Solutions asks that with every application, the student named is not made aware of the submission until the award is made. Something special becomes a great surprise to the hard-working person who receives the tool bag and learns that someone has believed in them. It is also important that the presentation be photographed and the photos submitted to Mortar Net Solutions so we can share the images with our sponsors to support all of the sponsors' social media platforms. Submissions can be sent to gskyta@mortarnet.com. The social media presence will elevate the popularity of the training facility as well as the sponsor that donates time and effort to this worthy effort.

Please submit a student today, https://mortarnet.com/mason-apprentice-scholarship/. This scholarship is designed to help build this trade with the special folks that really want a better life, and all of our company's management, corporate sponsors and instructors across the country depend on honesty to make this successful for all involved. 

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact me directly at sfechino@mortarnet.com. The more sponsors that become part of this effort, the better experience it will be for all involved.

Elevating Masonry: Old Habits, Familiar Tools, and the Real Reason Masonry Contractors Aren’t Making the Switch
May 2026

Ask a masonry contractor how they run their jobsite, and the answer probably sounds familiar: paper logs, a flurry of texts, maybe a shared email thread. It works until it doesn’t. And yet, even as purpose-built field management software has become more a

The Cornerstone of Craftsmanship: Nurturing Masonry Talent Through Competition
May 2026

In the evolving landscape of skilled trades, masonry stands as a testament to enduring craftsmanship and dedication. Yet, the question of how to cultivate and showcase this vital expertise remains paramount. While the bright lights of national competition

There’s the Typical Way to Brace a Wall. And Then There’s a Better Way.
May 2026

Wall bracing is one of the most important safety considerations on any masonry jobsite, yet it is often treated as a task that happens after the wall is built. Crews return, equipment is brought in, and time is set aside to secure walls that have already

Remembering Harry McGraw
May 2026

The masonry industry has lost one of its great teachers and craftsmen with the passing of Harry Edward McGraw, who died April 26, 2026, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 93.