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A New School Year and a New Blueprint for Success

Words: Robert Melgaard

September brings a familiar, energetic rhythm back to our industry. Across the country, shop doors are rolling up, fresh pallets of block are being delivered to high school courtyards, and a new cohort of students is picking up a trowel for the very first time. The start of the academic year is always a moment of immense potential, but this year, the MCAA Outreach & Education team is entering the fall semester with unprecedented momentum and a brand-new tool in our arsenal.

Over the summer, as highlighted in our previous updates, our team was on the road facilitating the Masonry Foundations for Educators program. The success of these professional development sessions far exceeded our expectations. We worked closely with dedicated masonry instructors looking to sharpen their curriculum, as well as Construction Technology teachers who needed hands-on experience to confidently introduce masonry to their students. Watching these educators build their own skills so they could pass that knowledge down was nothing short of inspiring.

However, empowering existing instructors solves only part of the workforce equation. What happens when a school district or technical college recognizes the massive local demand for skilled masons, but they don’t currently have a masonry program at all?

Historically, starting a heavy-materials trade program from scratch has been a daunting task for school administrators. The perceived barrier (navigating shop layouts, sourcing materials, securing funding, and developing a curriculum) often keeps well-meaning schools from taking the leap. That changes right now.

Introducing "Building Masonry Pathways"
To eliminate the guesswork and lower the barrier to entry for schools nationwide, the MCAA is incredibly proud to roll out our comprehensive program startup playbook: Building Masonry Pathways.

Think of this playbook as a turnkey blueprint for educators, administrators, and industry advocates. We have taken decades of collective experience from successful masonry programs, combined it with the practical realities of modern CTE funding, and distilled it into a step-by-step guide. If a school has the will to teach masonry, this playbook provides the exact roadmap to make it a reality.

The guide is designed to walk a school from the initial "what if" conversation all the way to the first day of class, focusing heavily on building sustainable programs that produce job-ready graduates.

A program cannot survive without industry backing, so the playbook first outlines exactly how school administrators can identify and recruit local contractors, suppliers, and MCAA members to form an active advisory board. This ensures the curriculum stays relevant and creates a direct pipeline for student employment. From there, it tackles the physical space. Masonry requires specific ventilation, layout considerations, and logistical planning. We provide infrastructure checklists to help schools transform an empty shop or outdoor pad into a safe, highly functional masonry lab.

Once the space is planned, the playbook answers the practical questions of what to buy and what to teach. It features itemized tool lists, estimated costs, and strategies for partnering with local suppliers for material donations so schools know exactly what it takes to accommodate a full class. On the instructional side, we guide administrators through adopting industry-recognized curricula, such as NCCER, and aligning their programs with state and national standards. We want students earning credentials that actually matter to contractors on the job site.

Finally, and perhaps most critically for administrators, the playbook demystifies the funding process. It provides actionable advice on leveraging federal Perkins V funding, state workforce grants, and local foundation support to cover startup costs, proving that launching a program is financially within reach.

Why This Matters for the Industry
The Building Masonry Pathways playbook is not just a resource for educators; it is a vital tool for every single contractor reading this magazine.

How many times have you looked at the labor shortage in your specific region and wished the local high school taught the trade? We now have the definitive resource to hand directly to your local school board, superintendent, or CTE director.

When you approach a school and ask them to start a masonry program, you are no longer just presenting them with a problem regarding local labor shortages. You are handing them a complete, structured solution. You are showing them that the MCAA and the masonry industry are organized, professional, and ready to support them every step of the way.

The Work Ahead
As we dive into September, our outreach team is already distributing the playbook to state CTE directors, vocational administrators, and community college presidents. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Schools want to place students in high-paying, debt-free careers, and now we are showing them exactly how to build the shop to make that happen.

The success of the Masonry Foundations for Educators program ensured our current teachers are ready. Now, the Building Masonry Pathways playbook ensures that the number of those teachers, and the programs they lead, will continue to multiply.

To every contractor, supplier, and educator: let’s make this school year our most impactful yet. Get your hands on the playbook, share it with your local schools, and let’s get to work building the next generation of our trade.


About: Outreach Outlook
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