Masonry Magazine October 1968 Page. 6
Teens Offered Masonry Training
Bricklaying and masonry will be among the subjects covered in two Cleveland Junior High Schools as part of a new pilot project called the Construction Orientation Course. The course is the Cleveland construction industry's answer to the problem of attracting promising young people to the construction industry and apprenticeship program.
The course, initiated by Robert F. Dalton, Secretary of the Cleveland Chapter of MCA and Assistant Executive Manager of the Building Trades Employers' Association of Greater Cleveland, is the only one of its type in the country.
In addition to bricklaying, classes will be oriented to the construction crafts of carpentry, cement finishing, electrical construction, construction equipment operating, painting, pipefitting, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal and structural iron work. The students will learn the nature of the work, skills required, tradesmen's wage opportunities and preparation for entering apprenticeship.
"The basic idea of the new program", says Dalton, "is to inspire youths in the ninth grade to begin thinking about a career in the construction industry and possibly enter the building trades upon graduation from high school. It is not designed to teach manipulative skills in any of the trades."
"The construction industry here needs talented youngsters who do not plan to go to college," Dalton emphasized.
Classes are scheduled twice a month during the 1968-1969 school year. Instruction will be by the assigned teachers, guest lecturers from the industry, movies and field trips to construction jobsites.
The first public showing of the new MCA movie "Clay and Craftsmanship" will be seen by the students taking this course at Harry E. Davis Junior High School on October 9.
If this project proves to be fruitful the Cleveland Board of Education plans to enter this course in other schools in the system the following school year.
Kirchner Opens New Block Plant
Bob Sloss, President of the St. Louis MCA (wearing bow tie), is shown offering a champagne toast to formally christen the opening of Kirchner Industries new block plant. As reported in this magazine (May issue), Kirchner's new plant is completely automated, and is located on the northwest corner of Interstate 270 and St. Charles Rock Road, in Bridgeton, Mo.