Saskatchewan Bricklayers Union training coordinator Brian Adams headed to Craik School last Monday to teach a group of interested kids a life skill.
“This is our first time (at Craik School) and this is going to be a real good partnership between the school and the educators and the trades and that’s what it’s all about, completing the cycle,” said Adams. “It works out pretty good. Kids that try it like it (and) every once in a while we get some that take it on and, in a few years, hopefully one or two of these kids, will end up in the trade working for a union bricklaying company and they’ll be journeyman bricklayers. That’s the ultimate goal.”
Adams said the kids who came out for the new Craik School Practical and Applied Arts (PAA) course began the day by building up four levels of brickwork before jointing it. He said the first class of six he would teach over the next six months ended with the students “unfortunately” taking down their work and cleaning up.
“Next month (they’ll) start again and get a little bit better and they’ll do a little bit more work,” he said. “It’s a progressive thing. There is very little bookwork in this. These kids don’t want to do that. They just want to get a trowel in their hand and go.”
This is the first year the Saskatchewan Bricklayers Union has been able to offer a masonry class to a rural school as it was only offered to students in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina before. Students who opt to take part in the class earn a PAA credit that they need in order to graduate and also have the chance to try their hand at the Skills Canada Saskatchewan competition held April 10 and 11 in Prince Albert.
Gord Taylor, principal of Craik School, said they are hoping to send a group of kids to the 16th annual high school skills competition so they can show off what they’ve learned this year. He said the response from students toward the course has been “overwhelming” since they approached kids about the possibility of offering the course last spring.
“Kids want to be a part of it,” he said, noting the course includes about 70 hours of practical design and construction training and 30 classroom hours. “Our hope is to continue offering it.”
To read more please see the October 28 print edition of The Davidson Leader.