I wrote a blog earlier this month (November 4) on what makes a Great Boss in Bricklaying?” and I mentioned the importance of an Apprentice getting trowel experience early in his Apprenticeship.  The point I was making was that he needs to start to ‘pay his way’ in terms of bricks laid each day.  As a result of reading this blog a second year Apprentice asked me to how many bricks it takes to cover his employer’s costs.  So, because it makes good business sense to know how important your productivity rate is for your employer, I’ve set out a Table below to explain.

Just to recap - bricklayers generally only get paid by the volume of bricks that they lay. They don’t get paid by how much mud they mix or any other menial task. The Table compares a typical current rate a bricklayer gets today with the better rates existing mid 2010 - it’s a fact of life that earning rates fluctuate in the construction industry, according to building demand.

Double Clay Brick Construction On Site in WA

Compared to the following hourly  apprentice costs (all inclusive of travel allowances, insurance, off site training costs, down time and incentives), we can make some projections on just how many bricks an apprentice bricklayer needs to lay to pay his or her way.

How Many Bricks an Apprentice Needs to Lay to “Pay his Way”

As you can see, the tighter the economy gets, the more important it is for you to become productive as soon as possible.  The rate the bricklayer receives has a direct impact on the level of productivity required from the Apprentice at all year levels to pay their way.  So once you’re started the apprenticeship, the aim is to be as productive as you can early on with a view to paying your way in about 6 months.  So take another look at those points on finding a Good Boss (my Nov 4 Blog) and don’t be shy in asking questions of your prospective employer.  Good hunting.

Dean Pearson, WA Manager

It’s often said in the bricklaying industry that an apprenticeship in bricklaying provides a ‘powerful foundation’ for further developing a career in building and construction in Australia. This was never as true as in Western Australia with our tradition of using double clay brick. The bricklayer here has the responsibility of ensuring that the building is strong enough to support the whole structure – which is critically important for all trades that follow working at the site.

The introduction of the 2cs step down slab following the Second World War, was highly suited for the Perth coastal sandy plain; it enabled builders to utilise clay bricks both externally and internally, a method tried and tested in Europe. Bricklayers soon became very important to the building process given that they became responsible for the set-out of the building.

In the 1970’s, brick companies further raised consumer interest in double clay brick by running television advertising campaigns highlighting the benefits. This further stimulated brick sales and double clay brick became common place.

Bricklayers require a sound knowledge of building concepts, plan-reading capability and the ability to identify and overcome issues relating to the set-out. For example:

• If a bricklayer is 10mm out on a window reveal, the window simply will not fit.
• If a bricklayer gets the brickwork out of plum the roof may not fit on properly which can be further complicated given fact that more consumers are opting for metal roof products.
• If a bricklayer's walls are crooked the plasterer will have to make costly corrections.
• He also sets-out, applies the damp proof, and installs windows, lintels, doors, tie down straps and wall ties.

Put simply the structural integrity of the building relies on the bricklayer to do his job properly and to ensure that it complies with national codes of construction and meets consumer satisfaction.

Given that bricklaying is an excellent foundation for general building knowledge it’s quite common to see qualified bricklayers move on to being a builder or other important roles within the construction industry.

Several well-known ex bricklayer builders that have stamped their presence in the West Australian housing market including Dale Alcock,  Gary Brown-Neaves and Craig Sheiles  just to name a few.

Dean Pearson, WA Manager, ABBTF.

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.

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

It was all there at the Skills West Expo August 19 to 20, as bricklaying apprentices from around the state battled it out in the regional bricklaying World Skills competition at the Perth Convention Centre.

Some 20,000 people visited the expo to see WA’s best of the best fight it out in this prestigious international competition.

View Image Gallery>

Most young men that participated in the event are in the prime of their lives, full of energy, great physics and in training!  The competition is designed to test their bricklaying knowledge, competency and all round dogged determination.

All competitors where given a project to build in clay brick and masonry as per the drawing detail. Millimetres made the difference between glory and heart ache!

In the final stages of the competition, each apprentice had to build a brick pier as high as they could in just 25 minutes (not a tower of Piazza to be seen anywhere!).  Check out the pics in the WA Gallery.

The who’s who of the bricklaying trade training fraternity was on hand to give support to these young chargers as they battled it out over the 2 days.

Training providers, employers and industry representatives where all very impressed with the all-round performance of each individual and the event itself got a lot of praise from the likes of Dale Alcock who visited the group whilst competing.

The state results for this event (Bunbury inclusive) were as follows: Gold = Alan Ramsden; Silver = Rhyse Moroney; Bronze = Samuel Long.

Well done to all the boys as they now prepare for the national finals in Sydney 2012 and if successful they could represent Australia in Leipzig Germany.

Dean Pearson
WA Bricklaying World Skills steering committee chair WA