Bricks, hard hat and trowel

The Masonry Rocks Regional Showcase will be in Nacogdoches Thursday, Nov. 10.

The Texas Masonry Council will host the hands-on training from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30  p.m. at Nacogdoches ISD’s Malcolm Rector Center for Advanced Careers and Innovation.

Students from Nacogdoches High School’s Career and Technical Education program – along with other East Texas school districts – will learn the tools of the trade, the resources it takes to make each building product, how to lay brick to the line, mortar mixing, mud spreading and building scaffold.

Most importantly, the students will learn during a career fair the numerous opportunities available in masonry construction.

Reid Perry is a Nacogdoches native and an assistant project manager with San Antonio-based masonry contractor Shadrock & Williams. “I’m excited to get back to my hometown and show the next generation the opportunities in construction.” 

Perry is furthering his education by taking bricklaying apprenticeship classes himself and says learning how to lay brick is helping him be a better project manager and he hopes to help the next generation get into the trades.

“Brick, block and stone are sturdy materials that last; we want students to have a career option just as reliable,” he said. 

The Texas Masonry Council is a trade association representing masonry contractors and suppliers in the state of Texas working together to promote the benefits of masonry construction and quality workforce training to recruit the next generation of Texas masons. In addition to Thursday’s showcase in Nacogdoches, the Masonry Council will carry its program over the next few weeks to Dallas, Houston and Austin.