Masonry Magazine April 1966 Page. 24
Tri-State Training Course
An outstanding example of bricklayer and tile setter training using an on-the-job training program, of the Federal Manpower Development and Training Act, administered by the Federal Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, U.S. Department of Labor, is being conducted in a tri-state program which includes Huntington, West Virginia, Ashland, Kentucky, and Ironton, Ohio.
This pre-job Training Course is also an outstanding example of mutual cooperation of three subordinate local unions of the B.M. & P.I.U., in three different states and also of the federal and state agencies involved in these three states. The three local unions have adjoining jurisdiction and therefore service the same general area for masonry construction, and have combined their efforts in training the necessary manpower to service their industry.
To set up the program a tri-state Apprenticeship and Training Council of labor and management was established. The Executive Committee of the Council consists of the following individuals:
Chairman John Herman, Mason Contractors Association of America.
Secretary-Louis Vaughn, B.M. & P.L.U., Local No. 7, Ashland, Kentucky.
Treasurer-R. A. Scott, A. G. C.
Trustee Gilbert Henery, B.M. & P.LU., Local No. 21, Ironton, Ohio.
Trustee Henry Cook, Contractor, Ironton, Ohio.
Coordinator-Richard Wilkes, B.M. & P.I.U., Local No. 5, Huntington, West Virginia.
The program consists of a total of 42 weeks under the M.D.T.A. sponsorship. This is broken down into two phases 8 weeks, Pre-Job Training and 36 weeks for on the job and related training. This is unusual as most M.D.T.A. programs in bricklaying are for 6 weeks Pre-Job and 12 weeks of close supervision on the job, immediately following the pre-job training. An exception was made in this program since a central school for the training was established at the Ashland Vocational School in Ashland, Kentucky.
The boys traveled to Ashland and received their Pre-Job Training for eight hours a day for eight weeks. Then they go on the job with their contractors and return to Ashland every Saturday for 36 weeks for 6 hours of related training. During this period they are closely supervised on the job and in related training by the council coordinator. Because the apprentices are scattered throughout the jurisdiction of three local unions, the 36 weeks enable them to obtain their related training, for their entire apprenticeship period, which is three years.
The instructors for the program are bricklayers Harold Pruitt, Local No. 5 and Louis Vaughn, Local No. 7. For the tile setters, Bill Griffith, Local No. 7. Enrolled in the program are 19 bricklayer apprentices and 7 tile setter apprentices. In the past year and a half approximately 43 such programs have been conducted with over 700 apprentices in these programs.