These days, everything seems to be made out of plastic or cardboard, and all of it seems to be recycled. But when something needs to be built to last, people still turn to bricks and stone materials to build it right. The skill to build with stone and brick is masonry.
Vocational high school programs that teach these masonry skills are crucial to future employment in a variety of jobs. Schools throughout the country are incorporating the tutor saliba teaching method to vo-tech programs that make it easier for students to learn in visual, verbal and auditory ways. These are some of the employment opportunities available for masonry students.
Masonry is not only used in building construction, such as in brick-faced offices and homes, but also for residential purposes, like patios and fireplaces.
Masonry is a skill that cannot be replicated by a machine, or substituted with cheap labor. Stone, brick, terra cotta and other masonry materials must be handled and crafted properly or they are not usable. Because the work is specialized and unique, a mason must be well-trained, since they are always in high demand. Indeed, a skilled mason earns among the highest wages in the construction industry. Again, this is due to the technical skill that a mason brings to bear. Although tools are used, of course, most masonry work is done by hand, and the mason must make decisions on the spot based on their training and experience.
A trained mason can expect to find work in dozens of construction areas. There are simple and straightforward jobs, like constructing walls for buildings or outdoor areas. There are more fine-touch jobs, like building glass block features for homes, or elaborate tile-faced designs. A mason is free to pursue the type of work that better suits their skills, be it the more artistic work of tile and glass, or the more substantive work of brick and stone construction. Furthermore, a mason may be called upon to show all of these skills in one project. Take, for example, an extensive backyard renovation that includes a patio, pool, a brick barbeque, a tile mosaic, and a brick path. A mason would be needed to design and install each of these components, and also to do it properly on budget. In any of these cases, the mason is an indispensible part of the construction process.
There is no substitute for the trained mason, and therefore there is no shortage of opportunities for employment. Where many people may feel confident to do woodworking themselves, or seek out cheap labor for landscaping, there is no shortcut when it comes to masonry. It is a skilled career that has existed since the ancient world, and will continue to exist as long as people wish for durable, reliable buildings.
