What Are Trowel Trades?
The trowel trades are a family of crafts that have in common their most basic tool, the trowel.
Examples of the work performed by masonry craftworkers are all around you. Tile in your bathroom, brick in homes and schools, the stone used to build many churches and the concrete sidewalks you use everyday are all examples of the useful and beautiful work of trowel trades craftworkers.
Add examples of plastering, terrazzo and marble work and the restoring of older buildings and monuments and you can begin to see the many jobs skilled trades-workers now do. Work in the trowel trades is a combination of both physical and mental activity. You must first develop the skill to use the tools and place masonry materials efficiently, with high quality workmanship. Next, you must learn to understand mathematics and its application to building materials and gain a thorough knowledge of construction blueprints.
What's the Story on Wages and Benefits?
Thanks to a strong union and a high demand for their specialized skills, trowel trades workers are among the highest paid workers in the nation.
Benefits like health insurance and pension plans are provided for union craftworkers. You will also be interested to know that as an apprentice in the trowel trades and after your initial training, you will continue to earn while you learn on the job and on the payroll through the apprenticeship program.
What's the Future Look Like for the Trowel Trades?
Bricklaying, stone, cement masonry, tile and terrazzo work and plastering have been active construction trades for thousands of years and the demand for skilled tradesworkers seems to be growing. Our government says that in the future this country will need considerably more than the 200,000 journeymen it now has.
The future looks bright.
Is There Room for Advancement in the Trowel Trades?
Yes. The new apprentice moves through a planned learning program where the mastery of new skills goes hand-in-hand with bigger paychecks. Individual motivation, more than anything else, will determine how far a person advances to such positions as journeyman, site foreman, contractor or union officer, to name a few.
How Do I Get Started in the Trowel Trades?
If you have at least 2 years full time Commercial experience click HERE or the How To Join tab above to request more information about becoming a member or call the Local 9 Union office at (517) 886-9781 to contact a Union Representative nearest you. You may be required to take a skills evaluation test at the Training Center to be eligible for the Improver Program. Talk to a Field Representative for more information on the Improver Program or the test.
If you are interested in the Apprenticeship Program and would like to apply for training, call the Michigan BAC Training Center at (517) 886-2221 to request an Application to the prejob training program or download one by clicking HERE.
The basic qualifications are:
1. You must be 18 years or older
2. You must be in good physical condition
3. Have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent
4. Have a valid Driver's License and dependable transportation
When you have completed the Application, call the Training Center to be scheduled for testing and to hand deliver the application. It's important to know that the Michigan BAC apprenticeship program offers equal opportunity to all people regardless of race, age, color, sex, religion or nationality.
What is the Next Step After Completing the Application?
When there is a demand for apprentices in your area, you will be scheduled for an Interview with the Apprenticiship Board of Trustees. If you are selected for the program you will be scheduled for pre-apprentice training. The Training Center in Lansing covers all of lower Michigan except the four counties in the Metro Detroit area which has a Training Center in Warren to cover that area.
What is Pre-Apprentice Training?
The pre-apprentice training program is twelve weeks, 40 hours per week of intensive training, using the tools of the trade on mock-ups of various wall systems found in the industry. The Training Center is located in Lansing, MI. The training is funded by contributions designated through the collective bargaining process. Trainees/Apprentices do not pay for this training. In fact, they are paid a $10.00 stipend for each day they attend class. For all trainees who live more than 70 miles from the Training Center, housing will be provided during the week.
The pre-apprentice program is the last step of the selection process. Upon graduation trainees start their three or four year apprenticeship. Starting pay for a Local 9 apprentice is 60% or 65% of journeyman wages. Accordingly, apprentices receive a 5% raise each 6 month period with at least 750 work hours. Increases are contingent upon a demonstration of skill and knowledge advancement. This path continues until 100% of journeyman wages is achieved. Upon completion, apprentices graduate and receive a journeyman card which is a ticket to job opportunities throughout the United States and Canada.
