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Oldcastle Architectural donates $10,000 to Skills USA’s National Masonry Program

Words: Heather WestOldcastle Architectural has donated $10,000 to Skills USA, providing the non-profit training organization’s national masonry program with critical funding for its education efforts and competitions that help students hone their masonry techniques.

“Oldcastle issued a challenge to attendees at World of Concrete to help Skills USA, and they came through for the students,” said Ken O’Neill, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Oldcastle Architectural, the largest producer of concrete masonry products in North America. “We pledged to donate money for each brick show attendees installed onto a panel of EnduraMax® High Performance Wall System at our demonstration area. With the overwhelming response, we were able to meet our $10,000 goal before the show’s end.

“It’s great to see our trade community come together for the good of the next generation of masons and to support Skills USA’s mission,” O’Neill said.

Skills USA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Local programming encourages students to participate in competitions leading up to an annual national Skills USA competition.

“Formal training for masons is critical,” said Bryan Light, chair of Skills USA’s national masonry technical committee. “Skills USA is committed to providing students with the education and training they need to hone their skills so they can build the hospitals, homes and army barracks we’ll need in the future. Oldcastle’s $10,000 donation will support the training of thousands of high school and post-secondary college students. For them to support us this way, as we equip young men and women to enter the masonry workforce, is really wonderful.”

At World of Concrete, Skills USA masonry students were onsite at Oldcastle’s booth for hands-on learning about today’s masonry solutions and to share experiences with professional masons attending the trade show. Students also helped the product experts in the booth by preparing the materials and assisting during some of the product demonstrations.

“It’s always exciting to meet with the masons who use our products each day on the job, and those conversations reinforce our commitment to provide them with masonry solutions that ensure they can take pride in their work and create structures that will stand the test of time in durability and beauty,” O’Neill said.
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