Board of Directors

The ABBTF Board represents a cross section of industry stakeholders and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of strategies to address the skill shortage in bricklaying.

Lindsay Partridge (Chairman)	Managing Director	Brickworks Limited
Steve Rogers (Deputy Chairman)	Executive General Manager	Adbri Masonry
Neill Evans	Executive General Manager	CSR Bricks & Roofing
Nick Clark	Executive General Manager	Boral Clay & Concrete
Bruce Mackenzie	Director	Holmesglen Institute
Tim Murphy	Director	Fugen Group
Alan Waldron	Training Manager	Hutchinson Builders
Scott Chamberlain	Executive Director – Skills & Workplace Relations	Housing Industry Association (HIA)
Neil Gow	National Manager – Training Policy	Master Builders Association (MBA)
Geoff Noble	General Manager	Australian Brick & Blocklaying Training Foundation Ltd

INSIGHTS INTO BRICKLAYING APPRENTICESHIPS
The bricklaying industry is an integral part of the commercial and residential construction industry, with approximately 26,000 bricklayers and blocklayers across Australia.
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This National Research Project is now complete and the final report on the findings is available, click here to download your copy.

VIC
David Switches From Uni to Bricklaying – Now He Is a Builder!
David Valastro studied a double degree on health promotion and nursing when he was Deakin University, but after two years he decided he didn’t like it. He then started a pizza business, but still felt he hadn’t found his ideal career.
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QLD
ABBTF Brickstart Bonus - Employer Benefits Total $12,000
Bricklayers and blocklayers can benefit from the new BrickstartBonus from ABBTF for putting on a new bricklaying apprentice. The bonus is $2,000 payable on completion of the first year and applies for new apprentices who start before 30 June 2010.
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NSW
Masonry Contractors Award Winners
The Masonry Contractors Association (MCA) held their 12th Annual awards for Brick and Blocklaying Excellence at Le Montage Function Centre in Sydney in November.
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WA
Brick Companies Support Bricklayer Training
Producing high quality bricks is the aim of Western Australian brick manufacturers. But they also ecognise the urgent need for trades people, with the training and skills, to lay the bricks so that the benefits of the product are fully realised in construction projects.
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SA
Apprentice Numbers up by 60%
Since early 2007, when ABBTF commenced the program to address skill shortages in bricklaying, apprentice numbers have increased by 104 or 60%.
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ACT
Bricklayer and His Apprentice Join Forces
ACT bricklayer Michael McPherson completed his training at Wagga Wagga in 1983. He started his business two years later, moving to Canberra in 1992 and has always been self employed.
Michael’s apprentice, Ashley Harris was awarded the Bricklaying Apprentice of The Year for 2008 and Michael reckons he felt like a proud parent.
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Tas
Darrel Lillico – 40 Years of Bricklaying and Helping Apprentices
Launceston bricklayer Darrel Lillico was 16 years of age when hestarted as an apprentice. “After completing my apprenticeship, I went out on my own, and have been working for myself ever since, 40 years of bricklaying!” said Darrel.
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