I spent this afternoon catching up with one of FCTA – Building Careers recently completed apprentices, Jay Gerardis.   Jay is 21 and has just finished his bricklaying apprenticeship and completing the training required to apply for his builders licence. In Jays words, the best reasons to become a bricklayer are ‘being able to work the hours you want, be outside, not stuck in an office’ That’s when Jay looks at me in front of my computer and adds in ‘no offence’. 

Jay won the HIA Bricklaying Apprentice of the Year award in 2010, 2011 & 2012. This year he has been nominated in the SA Training Awards, for Apprentice of the Year. Jay got in to bricklaying after completing a week’s work experience. “You have to try it first, I was even thinking of doing tiling, but once I tried bricklaying I made my mind up. With the other trades you’re either stuck inside all day, or like carpenters, most the time people can’t see your work”. When I ask Jay about changes in the industry he talks about his concern about the possible price increases associated with the carbon tax and ‘green’ building, versus the benefits of building greener homes. “There’s definitely a move to these new 5 star energy efficient homes. I’ve worked on a few of them, and they are a bit more expensive but you have to think about all the money you’re going to save over the years, it’s worth it”.

The biggest shock for Jay once completing his apprenticeship was finding out about all the tax and financial issues during the training for his builders licence, “I was talking to this guy and saying, do you know you can claim all these things on your tax, and the guy had no idea, I just said, you’ve got to do the training!” Jay is currently working on a stone fronted house in the Adelaide Hills, “it’s a tough site, it’s like building on the side of a mountain, but it’s going to look great. You don’t mind the tougher sites when you work out how much you can earn by putting in the extra effort. I’ve built with Hebel, stone, block and brick, there’s lots of different ways to build. At the moment I’m working on a classic style house, there’s a trend getting back to that look, and red brick homes”. Jay is planning to hire his own apprentice once his business is up and running, “As an apprentice you think, how does the boss want it done, but then when you go to do it, you end up mixing what your boss has taught you with what you learn at trade school, that’s what’s best about it. I’m definitely hiring an apprentice, it was the best thing that happened to me”. 

Trisch Baff, Marketing & Project Manager,
FCTA – Building Careers

When you first start work, one of the best things that can happen is to find you have a really great boss. Now sometimes, there’s little chance to evaluate who you’ll be working for, but with a bricklaying apprenticeship, you might be able to get useful background through a few direct questions to your possible employer, plus, some subtle enquiries to others. I’ve compiled a ‘wish list’ of things that are good to know about your prospective employer,
because in my role in WA I help hook-up a lot of new bricklaying apprentices with employers. Here’s the list – see what you can suss out in discussions, when the opportunity arises:

Does your prospective employer:

1. Give clear instructions?….because you want to get things right the 1st time
2. Assist apprentices to get on the trowel early?…good for your learning and his business
3. Understand the training requirements?….keep your skills level growing
4. Know when an apprentice is due for TAFE/RTO training?….so you’re both prepared for change
5. Develop a relationship with the TAFE/RTO?….provide and obtain feedback
6. Assist apprentices with travel should they require it?….it’s harder to get a licence these days
7. Comply with the award? ….as a minimum!
8. Act as a role model and a leader?….important for your development
9. Encourage apprenticeship completion?….take pride in what you are achieving
10. Make contact with the appropriate authorities and ABBTF if you have problems? ...there is a solution to every problem!
11. Maintain a strong focus on Occupational Health & Safety standards…..this is essential for a good business and your personal care.

There are lots of things you can ask about depending on what matters most to you. But it’s fair to say that most of us want the following from a job: to have positive relationships with work mates, interesting work and continuous opportunities for learning. On this website you’ll read a lot more about bricklaying which may suggest other questions to ask.

It’s also important you understand that bricklayers generally only get paid by the volume of bricks they lay. They don’t get paid by how much mud they mix or any other task. So as an apprentice you need to understand that ‘no productivity’ means ‘no payment’. It’s in your interest to learn quickly and get on the trowel as early as possible, to be a real contributor to the business. Good luck with the discussions – send me a comment by reply to this blog and let me know what you think of this list, you might have additions to give me.