Had a call from Debbie Barratt in Hobart this week.  She’s justifiably proud of her sons’ Luke and Matt and the apprentices working for their family bricklaying company, who were competing in the Tasmanian Regional World Skills

Bricklaying Competition.  The Barratt boys and apprentices made up seven out of the eight competitors!

The competition was full-on and the winner is yet to be confirmed, but Paul Mackay from the bricklaying department at Skills Tasmania commented on the extremely high standard of bricklaying by all the competitors.

Rumour has it that the comp should be renamed the “Barratt Family Bricklaying Competition”!  Colin Barratt has been a great mentor and teacher to his three sons and apprentices.

View more images > TASSIE'S BRICKLAYING BARRATTS

Colin and Debbie’s oldest son, Ben, won a silver medal in last year’s WorldSkills National Competition in Brisbane in a very tightly contested event.  Obviously, quality bricklaying is in the family.

I’m always amazed at how well young apprentice bricklayers can perform under the extreme pressure of competition.  We get to see a lot of outstanding apprentice bricklayers in these events.  There is certainly an emerging group of quality people starting in the trade.

We wish them well for a rewarding future.

Geoff Noble, 

Head Office, ABBTF