Outreach Outlook: Crafting the Future Through Education and Engagement

Words: Jason Mccoy

After more than 40 years in this trade, I’ve seen masonry education evolve in ways I never could have imagined when I first picked up a trowel. One thing has remained steadfast: this craft is built on people. Today, in my role with the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), alongside two dedicated partners in outreach and education, our focus is on bringing masonry out of the background of skilled trades education and making a highly technical craft accessible within training programs across the country.

Our greatest means of success? Connecting the right people. We act as liaisons between associations, contractors, educators, suppliers, and students. Creating opportunities where masonry can be experienced, not just talked about. Done, not just seen. This is how you become captivated by the work, and ultimately, truly invested in the industry.

Recently, we’ve become more engaged with Career and Technical Education (CTE) Directors, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) programs as part of expanding those opportunities. These are important platforms, but they also highlight a challenge. In Indiana, for example, there are 52 CTE programs statewide, yet only four are dedicated to masonry. That tells you everything you need to know: there’s room to grow, and there’s a real need to introduce masonry more directly into these training environments.

But identifying the gap is only the first step. The real work is showing what’s possible.

That’s exactly what we set out to do with recent hands-on training sessions across the country.

In Indiana, we partnered with three local contractors, a supplier, and Professor Vince Helming of Vincennes University, a CTE instructor, to host a three-day training at a contractor’s shop. This wasn’t a classroom lecture or a demonstration from a distance. This was students stepping into a real masonry environment and learning by doing it.

Over the course of three consecutive days, 22 students spent two hours each day laying brick, block, and stone. They worked alongside experienced masons, learning not just technique, but the pace, the feel, and the discipline the trade requires. With materials supplied and guidance coming from both industry and education, the experience was as close to real-world masonry as you can get without being on an active job site.

We even added a little healthy competition, which brought energy and focus to the group. But what stood out most was the transformation. Students who started out unsure became more confident with each passing day. This is the kind of exposure that sticks. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to replicate and improve upon.

That Indiana session is a clear example of what works: collaboration, hands-on training, and direct engagement between industry and education.

We’re continuing to build on that momentum. As a recent update, we’ll be supporting a masonry education session in New York in collaboration with BOCES and the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). At the same time, industry partners there have formed a committee to help establish a pilot training program, working to gather resources, secure materials and equipment, and support a group of instructors preparing to deliver that training.

Efforts like this show that when the right people come together, progress happens quickly.

We’re also investing in the people delivering that education. The MCAA has developed the Masonry Foundations for Educators program to help instructors across CTE, BOCES, NCCER, and other training systems become more confident and capable in teaching masonry. When instructors are better equipped, students receive better training, and the entire industry benefits.

Outreach remains a key part of this effort as well. At the end of April 2026, I will be attending a national CTE conference in Cincinnati, where we’ll continue sharing what’s working, building relationships, and helping more programs see the value of incorporating masonry.

Because one of the biggest challenges we face is still awareness. Too many people simply haven’t had the opportunity to experience masonry firsthand. And without that exposure, it’s hard to understand the pride, skill, and long-term opportunity this trade offers.

After four decades in masonry, I still believe strongly in where we’re headed. The tools may evolve, and the training methods may improve, but the foundation remains the same: hands-on learning, strong mentorship, and a commitment to doing things the right way.

Masonry has always been about building something that lasts forever. Now, the most important thing we can build is the generation to carry this "forever trade" forward.

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Outreach Outlook: Crafting the Future Through Education and Engagement

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