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Mike Rowe on How to Combat Unemployment & the Skills Gap http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/03/01/mike-rowe-tucker-carlson-job-skills-gap-trades-make-work-cool-dirty-jobs For more details, contact Jerry Liner: jliner@stalite.com or 704-640-7969.
By THE RECORD Two teams of students from Pedro Menendez High School recently put their brick-laying abilities to the test in the SkillsUSA Regional Masonry Showcase in Starke. Participating were 34 competitors from six different schools, including five girls and five boys representing Menendez. Also on hand were nine tenders assisting the Menendez competitors. Each competitor was tasked with building his or her own brick wall according to specifications required by the judges. Menendez was the only school to bring an all-girls team into competition. From the girls team, Kaylee Folckemer, I’Leisha Smith and Sydney George will be advancing to next month’s state competition. The boys qualifying for state competition are Tommy Mouse, Jonathan Looney and Ethan Stewart. Students will travel to Lakeland in April to compete against others from across the state at the SkillsUSA State Conference. Pedro Menendez High School was the only school to bring an all-girls team to the SkillsUSA Regional Masonry Showcase in Starke. From the girls team, Kaylee Folckemer, I'Leisha Smith and Sydney George will be advancing to next month's state competition. The boys qualifying for state competition are Tommy Mouse, Jonathan Looney and Ethan Stewart.
The month of January has been a busy one for the Masonry Association of Florida, holding three masonry courses, and issuing over 700 CEU’s to Florida masonry industry professionals.
The video-taping of the Masonry Construction & Inspection Certification Workshop for the AIA Florida Distance Learning Program, and the soon-to-be-launched online certification program for engineers, contractors and building officials was completed in Tallahassee on January 13th and 14th to rave reviews! The next week saw Don Beers, putting in more miles as he travelled to the Seminole State College, Wharton Smith Center for Construction to provide a 2-hour masonry education program to more than 30 students. And finally, last-but-not-least, the MAF held a Masonry Workshop in Orlando this past Friday and Saturday. Seminole State College Wharton Smith Center for Construction Heathrow, Florida On Tuesday, January 26, 2016 the MAF provided instruction to the SSSC Wharton Smith Center for Construction. The course was attended by approximately 30 students enrolled in college's construction training program. The program was arranged by Joe Sorenson, SSC construction Program Instructor and Kevin McCoy of Argos. Don Beers, PE, MAF Staff Engineer provided a 2-hour program covering the topics of Energy Efficiency in Masonry Construction, Masonry vs. Hurricanes & Tornadoes, and Florida's Heart of Stone, a promotional introduction into the history of masonry in the state of Florida. The Wharton-Smith Center for Construction, part of Seminole State's School of Engineering, Design and Construction, offers programs grounded in academic course work, site visits and practical application of industry principles. This is part of a larger program introducing concrete and masonry education to the students of Florida Universities. Louisville, KY. – Companies and organizations of the masonry industry joined together to support the 51st annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference and the National Masonry Contest on June 25, 2015. After being held in Kansas City, Missouri for decades, the SkillsUSA Conference has returned to the Bluegrass state where it will be held for the next several years. The 43 young masons from 32 states were allotted a maximum of six hours to construct a project composed of brick and block, set on a concrete block base. Each contestant received a detailed drawing to which they were expected to adhere to closely. The 2015 winner of the secondary/high school division of the competition was Luke Dutton from West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla, North Carolina. The winner of the post-secondary/college division was Alex Ossowski from Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina. Congrats to North Carolina. The masonry programs or schools of each first-place winner received a $1,500 scholarship from Spec Mix. All six medal winners (three in each division) were awarded tools from Bon Tool and the Marshalltown Company, I-Pads, construction calculators, Lowes & Carhartt vouchers, as well as various other items donated by loyal supporters and sponsors of this event. Full Story Orlando, FL. – (March 9, 2015) -- The Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council (FCMEC) held a signing ceremony March 4 to signify their commitment to a program that will help fund masonry education and promotion in Florida.
The event, attended by more than 30 industry executives from various companies was held in the Masonry Lab on the Mid Florida Tech campus in Orlando. Those in attendance witnessed industry producers A-1 Block, Argos Ready Mix, LLC., CEMEX Construction Materials Florida, LLC., Maschmeyer Concrete Company of Florida, Inc., Prestige Concrete Products, Supermix/Superblock and Titan Florida, LLC. become the first to sign on to support the Act by voluntarily contributing to the Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council, beginning April 1st, 2015. The council, appointed by Governor Rick Scott, is tasked with bringing together masonry manufacturers and contractors in an effort to plan and conduct training programs, improving access to masonry education, developing outreach programs to ensure diversity and informing the public about the sustainability and economic benefits of concrete masonry products. “This marks a momentous day for our industry and we look forward to implementing these important educational programs for masons across the state,” said FCMEC Chairman Troy Maschmeyer. “We've been collectively working on this program for a very long time and we are enthusiastic about the many benefits it will bring to the industry." Pictures of the event are available here: http://www.floridamasonrycouncil.org/fcmec-news/concrete-masonry-education-council-signing-event When the economy collapsed and construction work slowed, skilled masons, electricians, carpenters, plumbers and other craft and trade workers found themselves having to find jobs in other fields, dropping out of the labor force or retiring.
Now that construction is booming again in the Gainesville area, contractors and subcontractors are faced with a shortage of skilled workers to handle all of the new building and renovation work at the University of Florida, Celebration Pointe, Butler Plaza, new apartment complexes and hotels. The worker shortage, they warn, could lead to construction delays and higher costs as they have to raise pay to compete for the available workers and bring in more from outside the area, often from areas that are also seeing an increase in construction and a shortage of workers. Read more> |
MASONRY HELP DESKSubmit your questions regarding masonry construction to the MAF Staff Engineer or Masonry Consultant:
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