Masonry Magazine February 2006 Page. 20
INDUSTRY TRAINING
The District Council Training Center (DCTC) facility, at 35,000 square feet, is the largest local training center of its kind. Created by Chicago's International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) locals and union mason contractors, DCTC is a centralized facility for those desiring advanced training in the skills of bricklaying and the allied crafts.
"The rewards of union apprenticeship training are the good wages and benefits you receive as a skilled craft worker," said Bob Arnold, program director.
The DCTC trains bricklayers in Chicago and the surrounding nine-county area. The center has two full-time International Masonry Institute (IMI) certified instructors. Along with providing IMI-sponsored, 12-week pre-apprentice classes, the DCTC has related training for the three-year apprentices, including online interactive coursework that can be done from home.
"The DCTC and IMI have given me an opportunity to do what I love doing-working with my hands and earning a living to provide for my family," said Jamaican-born Robert Grant of BAC local 56.
For more information, visit www.bac2school.org.
C.E. McCormick Area Technology Center, Alexandria, Ky.
Instructor: Jimmy Lee Porter
Number of Students: 30
Students are involved in several community projects, providing them with hands-on experiences. There is also a cooperative education program, where eligible students are paid while working toward their apprenticeship. The support of masonry retailers and the community have made this masonry program a great success.
For more information, visit http://kytech.ky.gov.
Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, Maine
Instructor: Andre Pratt
Number of Students: 8-14
Started in 1995, the masonry program in the college's Department of Construction Technology offers a one-year masonry certificate course and a two-year associate's degree in construction technology with a masonry concentration. The support of masonry retailers and the community have made this masonry program a great success.
Throughout the school year, students work on hands-on projects, including brick steps, barbecues, entrance piers, fireplaces and full-size chimneys. Field trips to brickyards and block plants are included so students can see firsthand how the materials they use are produced. In addition to masonry training, related courses are offered to provide the students with leadership skills, as well as other skills that will help them in the future.
Post-graduation placement has been more than 95 percent, and the demand for good masons is growing every day. For more information, visit www.smccme.edu.
Lewis and Clark Career Center, St. Charles, Mo.
Instructor: Not available at time of publishing
Number of Students: Not available at time of publishing
The Lewis and Clark Career Center accepts juniors and seniors from every high school in St. Charles County.
This masonry program has been in existence since the school opened in 1975. Instructor Jimmy Lee Porter is in his third year with the program. The two-year curriculum includes basic bricklaying, blocklaying, composite walls and more. In addition to the masonry training, the students are taught skills in employability, leadership, mathematics, blueprint reading and others, preparing them to successfully enter the workforce.
Field trips to construction fairs, concrete plants, masonry suppliers and job sites are an exciting feature of the program. Occasionally, guest speakers from various construction trades visit to share their vast knowledge.