Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Report of the MCAA Education Committee

Words: Danks Burton

Live Webinar Series

The MCAA’s Live Webinar Series continued to grow in 2017, building on the success from previous years. Over 2,000 attendees registered for nearly sixty courses last year. Over 1,000 attended the live presentations. Topics ranged from OSHA investigations and jobsite safety to quality assurance and business success for masons.

Nearly every webinar in 2017 was offered at no charge to both MCAA members and non-members. The free webinars allowed the MCAA to collect vital information on which topics are important to mason contractors, and create custom marketing programs to target specific contractors about upcoming opportunities. Additionally, the MCAA was able to obtain valuable contact information from non-members to promote membership to their companies.

Industry suppliers and manufacturers will be able to sponsor webinars throughout 2018. Sponsorship opportunities include:
  • $250 Members / $500 Non-Members to sponsor one individual webinar
  • $750 Members / $1,000 Non-Members to host one specialty webinar
  • $2,000 Members / $2,500 Non-Members to sponsor five individual webinars, and host two specialty webinars
All sponsors will be thanked during the webinar and their logo will be displayed at the beginning of each session. Sponsors will also have access to the registered attendee list for webinars they host or sponsor.

Visit www.masoncontractors.org/live to view a list of upcoming webinars for 2018.

Best Practices Seminar

The Education Committee is working to complete the development of the Best Practices Seminar (formerly the Masonry Quality Institute). The course will feature eight, two-hour segments including:
  • Quality Assurance
  • Human Resources
  • Coordination and Teaming with Other Trades
  • Best Masonry Processes and Practices
  • Sales and Marketing of Your Company and the Industry
  • Best Business Management Practices
  • Best and Most Efficient Equipment Practices
  • Engineered Masonry
The segments will be taught by mason contractors. The seminar will be offered during future MCAA Conventions and individually online as webinars.

Detail Videos

The Education Committee is looking into the development of short videos that focus on details of the jobsite. Suggested topics include:
  • Covering Walls
  • Flashing
  • Material Handling
  • Mixing and Retempering Mortar by Hand
  • Proper Lifting
These videos will be produced in conjunction with Masonry and will likely be included with a written piece. The videos will be available on both the MCAA and Masonry websites.

Spanish Translation

Masonry magazine published multiple articles in Spanish throughout 2017. Additional technical talks and safety toolbox talks will be translated in the near future.

The Year Ahead

The Education Committee will continue to provide top quality education programs to mason contractors and work to develop new courses for the masonry industry.
 0
Restoring the Breath of the Building: The Life-Saving Science Behind Historic Masonry Repairs
July 2026

When I first set out to become a historic preservation and restoration mason, I imagined that most of my trade would involve repairing the effects of old age. Instead, 99 percent of my work is attempting to stabilize and reverse damage caused by recent an

Technical Talks
Read More
Laying the Foundation for the Future: Workforce Development at the Arizona Masonry Council
July 2026

For generations, masonry has been built on a simple but powerful principle: knowledge passed from one set of hands to the next. In Arizona, the Arizona Masonry Council (AMC) is working to ensure that tradition continues by investing in one of the industr

Dawn Rogers
Industry News
Read More
What Mason Contractors Don't Know Is Costing Them Money
July 2026

Most mason contractors can tell you exactly what a job should cost before it starts. Bid labor hours, material takeoffs, and crew rates per square foot. The numbers are on paper, and they look right. What most can't tell you is whether those numbers held

Erin Koets
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
Preserving Masonry Aesthetics with Concealed Lintel Systems
July 2026

Masonry has long been valued for its ability to create buildings with character, permanence, and visual appeal. Features such as arches, deep reveals, corbelling, and decorative brickwork continue to be popular design elements in modern architecture. Howe

Erica Oliveraz
MAP Partner
Read More