In a bid to boost the country’s number of budding brickies, the Brick Development Association (BDA) is once again bringing its #LOVEBRICK roadshow to colleges across the UK, engaging Level 1, Level 2 and apprentice bricklaying students in workshops and demonstrations by the BDA, brick manufacturers and brickwork contractors.
The BDA is working with the Association of Brickwork Contractors (ABC) to drive the study of bricklaying forward and increase the number of skilled bricklayers in the construction industry.
The number of skilled bricklayers in the UK is currently in decline following the credit crisis of 2008 and the downturn in the construction industry. Now the industry is in a phase of recovery and growth, the need for more apprenticeship schemes is essential to avoid a fall in output. This initiative, supported with funding from the Construction Skills Training Board (CITB) aims to raise the awareness and knowledge of brickwork and the important contribution it makes to the Built Environment.
Viviane Williams, Design and Marketing Manager for the BDA, comments: “We want to encourage people to learn the skills and crafts of bricklaying so it is essential we invest in the training and development of the next generation of bricklayers. Not only will this increase the jobs in the brick industry and the number of homes built, but we will be preserving one of the oldest and greatest building materials ever devised.”
The BDA roadshow has visited Brooklands College, Kingston University and Bath College during recent weeks, where BDA representatives were able to meet and engage with many apprentice bricklayers.
