The sound of trowels and the hum of saws created a syncopated rhythm as more than 80 apprentices from across the United States and Canada faced off last month at the BAC/IMI International Apprentice Competition at Detroit’s Huntington Place Convention Center.
Competing in eight trades (brick, terrazzo, tile, plaster, stone, marble, cement and restoration), apprentices raced against the clock as they built complex models in front of judges who graded their work on accuracy, safety and mastery of craftsmanship. Organized jointly by the International Union of Pallets and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) and the International Masonry Institute (IMI), organizers of the September 26-27 event say the competition aims to be a showcase of skills and a demonstration of how unions can successfully train and supply the next generation of craftsmen.
However, for apprentices competing, the triennial competition has become a way to break barriers to entry into the construction industry and boost their careers.
“Apprentices receive much more than hands-on training – they get solid safety training, work with the latest tools and materials and our programs are constantly adapted to industry needs,” says Caryn Halifax, President of IMI. “This contest is truly a testament to labor and management collaboration.”
2022 International Apprentice Contest contestant Chelsea Collson (left) returned as a judge.
Photo courtesy of the International Institute of Masonry
Showing the “Best of the Best”
Apprenticeships for masons and related trades last from two to four years, and the BAC/IMI International Apprentice Competition it is staggered over a three-year cycle, so almost all learners have a chance to qualify. “It’s really the best of the best in the United States and Canada,” Halifax said.
Among the top finishers was John Deslippe, 26, of Philadelphia, a Restoration Caulk Remover (PCC) Apprentice/Pointer at BAC Local 1 Pennsylvania-Delaware, who won first place in that category.
“Just competing against other people who are at the same level as me, who take it as seriously as I do, it felt good to surround myself with that,” says Deslippe, who says he hopes to use his learning to secure a career that would allow him to work with his hands.
“I like how learning a trade is a lifelong thing. There’s always something new to learn, and I think that intrigues me,” he adds.
For Trenton Lampkin, 19, who took first place in the stone category, entering the squad straight out of high school has helped accelerate his skills. As an apprentice with the Eastern Missouri Board of Poplars and Allied Craftsmen Administrative District, Lampkin works for his father’s poplar company and entered the competition to demonstrate his readiness for the next stage.
“Whenever I do something I tell myself I want to be the best I can be at it, so my first thought was I want to go win it,” says Lampkin, who encourages others on the fence about entering the trades to “find something you love to do and get better at it.”
Chelsea Collson, 33, competed in the 2022 International Apprentice Competition and returned this year as a judge for the Western Region and the International Competition. “It was a lot less stressful,” explains Collson, a catering/PCC specialist and Portland-based work leader with BAC Local 1 Oregon/Washington/Idaho/Montana.
“We’re looking for the right procedure, making sure they’re actually doing the task the way we’ve trained them. We’re also looking for a beautiful finished product,” he says. Beyond the competition prizes, Collson says the event is an opportunity for the next generation of crafters to connect with industry and veterans who can help them in their professional growth.
“Every one of us who competes is in the direct line of our IMI international executive board, the leaders of our training,” says Collson. “Having the experience of being in front of them and being able to talk to them and mingle with people you would never have seen is immeasurable.”
She adds, “It’s a huge step forward in terms of career building.”
Caryn Halifax, president of the International Masonry Institute, and Mike Schmerbeck, owner of Back Brook Masonry in New Jersey and IMI Chair of Management, were on hand the day before the competition as apprentices from across the country competed in the triennial event.
Photo by Bryan Gottlieb
A pipeline of critical talent
For contractors, the event underscores the number of walks in the learning pipeline. Mike Schmerbeck, owner of Back Brook Masonry in New Jersey and chairman of IMI’s board, said contractors depend on it to provide safe and productive workers. “The lifeline of this is our apprenticeship program,” he said. “The apprentices here are the best of the best and they are our future.”
He estimated that the masonry industry will need to add 20,000 to 30,000 workers over the next five years to meet demand. Nationally, average wages for masonry trades remain competitive. Bricklayers and masons earn an average of $59,640 a year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2024, with the top 10% earning $91,000. Cement masons earn an average of $53,100, while tile and marble setters earn $49,590 and plasterers and plasterers earn $55,900.
Schmerbeck said steady-bond masons can top $100,000 a year, with foremen making as much as $200,000. “Beyond that there is pride,” he added. “You put your kids in the car and show them the building you worked in. That’s something you can’t put a price on.”
Both Halifax and Schmerbeck emphasized that safety has become an integral part of workplace training and culture. “Last year, there were a lot of scaffolding safety incidents, so we increased the scaffolding safety training and trained instructors to deliver it locally,” Halifax said.
Schmerbeck described safety as the third “leg of the stool” along with quality and productivity. “The great thing about young people coming out of the apprenticeship program is that they’ve been taught the right way. They don’t know any other way and they’re a breath of fresh air in a workplace,” he said. His company’s improved safety performance, he added, saves $300,000 a year in workers’ compensation costs.
Among the top finishers was John Deslippe, 26, of Philadelphia, who won first place in the restoration/pointer caulking cleaner category. Photo courtesy International Masonry Institute
An evolving skill
Despite the perception of masonry as timeless, Halifax emphasized that the industry is rapidly innovating. “You think of a brick as a brick, but there have been a lot of modifications,” he said, citing carbon capture blocks, algae-based binders, lighter replacement terracotta and kilns powered by sawdust or solar instead of coal. Schmerbeck noted that brick is making a resurgence in New York City towers after decades of glass facades. “People like it: it’s tactile, it’s local and it feels permanent,” he said. Halifax also linked competition to retention. “We try to look at career progression and learner feedback on whether the support programs are effective,” he said.
A mockup of the tuckpointing challenge.
Photo by Bryan Gottlieb
IMI has added maternity and childcare benefits and a biennial women’s leadership program. Seven women competed this year, around 10% of the field. The technology has also become a recruitment tool, with augmented reality demos for wall designs and Procore training built into courses. The competition itself has been around for more than 30 years, with roots in BAC’s apprenticeship programs going back more than a century.
Halifax noted that the National Apprenticeship Act was inspired by BAC’s labor management approach. Early competitions involved simple wall sections; now, apprentices recreate patterns from historic buildings like Detroit’s Penobscot Building. “It’s definitely gotten a lot bigger and the challenge level has increased as our instructors and training staff have upped their game,” Halifax said.
For contractors like Schmerbeck, the competition is as much about culture as it is about craftsmanship. “We want the trainees to know how important they are to us,” he said. “They go home and talk about it, and that does a lot for retention.”
Halifax added that the event also educates the public.
“Events like this help remind people who don’t think about buildings the way we do that they think about the places where we live and work,” he said. When the medals were presented in Detroit, both leaders emphasized that the future of the industry depends on the apprentices who competed. “They are our future,” Schmerbeck said. “And we take that seriously.”
