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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

A STRONG FUTURE FOR MASONRY

Apprentices from the Bricklayers Union Share What They

Love about their Careers

By: The International Masonry Institute (IMI)

At the 2018 BAC/IMI International Apprentice Contest, the skill and knowledge of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftwork-
ers’ (BAC) top apprentices was on full display. The event attracted 75 contestants from around the U.S. and Canada, who put the skills they’ve
learned in BAC’s renowned apprenticeship programs to the test with challenging mockups and written tests covering topics from installation
standards, safety, trade math, and union history.

Making it to the international contest is no small feat: to qualify, the apprentices had to first place in local and regional competitions, where they
completed building projects that were judged based on quality and completion.

In their own words, apprentices who competed at Internationals explain what they love about their careers as union craftworkers:

“I firmly believe in working with my hands, earning an honest day’s wage, “[The apprenticeship program] has taken my skills to another level. I’ve gotten
really putting in the time every single week. Working with tile allows creative to travel. I’ve been from Hawaii to the east coast, and that’s something pretty
ability. It allows me to see and complete a project [that I can] stand back and cool that I can say I got out of being a marble mason.”
look at, while also working hard.”
– Roberto Estrada, BAC Local 13 NV, 3rd place winner, marble
– Jesse Stonehouse, BAC Local 1 MN/ND, tile contestant

Photos courtesy of Dave Naprstek for BAC/IMI

“I like being able to finish a piece of a project and say, ‘I helped build that.’ I’d “It’s satisfying. Every day is different. Every job is different. At the end of the
really like to have my own business one day and inspire girls to do this and day, I can walk around Chicago and say, ‘yeah, I worked at the Shedd Aquar-
be part of the union. I want to show that not only guys can do this, girls can ium, I worked at the Sears Tower, I worked at Soldier Field, I did the United
do it as well.” Center.”
– Melissa Manni, BAC Local 1 PA, 3rd place winner, pointing-cleaning-caulking – Paul Boyadjian, BAC Local 21 IL, terrazzo contestant

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