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Ask The Trades › DIY Forum › Building Questions › How to get into the building trade....

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How to get into the building trade.... (Read 8100 times)

warreng GDPR opt-out	How to get into the building trade.... Jul 4^th, 2006, 12:09pm I have just finished a bricklaying course at college and have achieved an ICA (Intermediate Construction Award). I am just wondering what the best option is for me now? I dont have any real experience other than the work i have done at college. cheers.
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CWatters Super Member Offline "Daddy fick it" says James Posts: 5150 Total Thanks: 58 For This Post: 0 Gender:	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #1 - Jul 4^th, 2006, 8:25pm Perhaps look for a partner or two. Bricklayers seem to go around in gangs of three. One to mix and two laying.
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JerryD

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Re: How to get into the building trade....
Reply #2 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 12:01am

When I was learning brickwork I went to college (evening classes) for 3 years but during that time I muscled my way into a 4 & 2 brickwork gang on the hod.

During tea/lunch breaks I would borrow a trowel and 'show them' what I could do and bit by bit I got to do more and more brickwork and blockwork until I was taken on as an improver.

This is probably still the best way. Get to know the guys and their mates. Brickies seem to knock around with other brickies and the more people you know in the trade the better. Don't expect proper money for some time, the hods will be earning more than you to start with.

I found that to get good you really have to push yourself all day. Anyone can lay 200 bricks a day on a 9" jack wall but on pricework you'll be expected to lay 2000. It's quite a shock from the comfort of college!

You'll go home almost unable to move each night.

That's speed taken care of.

Now quality facework is a totally different matter and I've had many brickies work for me over the years who were hopeless even after years of experience. It's something that not everyone can do (quickly AND neatly).

Some guys couldn't use a gauge rod, some couldn't work from site datums, some couldn't compensate for sloping foundation concrete etc etc. There's a lot more to it than people think.

Your local paper may have adverts for bricklayers, give one of them a go but explain your level of experience before you start otherwise you'll be sacked within the hour!

Good luck.

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TIMBA-WOLF Board Moderator Offline Timba-Wolf..... Var@*sh, should be banned!! Posts: 7158 Total Thanks: 15 For This Post: 0 KENT,(under a tree!!!!) United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #3 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 1:07am Quote: You'll go home almost unable to move each night. slacking again JD!!!
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big_all Global Moderator Trade Member Author Offline heeelllooo Posts: 5596 Total Thanks: 10 For This Post: 0 Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #4 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 9:24am very very good advice from j d college is no more than the basics in a classroom you need to be on site to find out the "tricks off the trade" youll learn 10 time more in the real world than at college and if you buy the mug off tea and the bacon butties/fry up every morning youll be poor but popular
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CWatters

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Re: How to get into the building trade....
Reply #5 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 9:30am

[quote author=JerryD link=1152011398/0#2 date=1152054083]There's a lot more to it than people think. [/quote]

Having followed the progress on my house I have to agree. The team did a superb job. The house is on three levels, has a plinth, a band at head height and corbels. Just working out how long each wall had to be must have been a nightmare as they are three different lengths depending on what height you measure at.

Then there were the double arches on 5 windows. One arch of each was a prefabricated lintel but the other had to be built from cut bricks to match. There were numerous other problem areas that had to be resolved as work progressed.

The house is also near the top of a hill and most of the hard work was done over the last winter when it was very cold and windy. When it wasn't cold it was wet and muddy.

I like to think they enjoyed the challange!

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TIMBA-WOLF Board Moderator Offline Timba-Wolf..... Var@*sh, should be banned!! Posts: 7158 Total Thanks: 15 For This Post: 0 KENT,(under a tree!!!!) United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #6 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 2:46pm admit it CW, you just enjoyed making the trowel and his gang SUFFER!! (sadist on the quiet!!)
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CWatters Super Member Offline "Daddy fick it" says James Posts: 5150 Total Thanks: 58 For This Post: 0 Gender:	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #7 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 6:13pm Yeah ok then you got me sussed AND I only gave them a few bottles of scotch at Christmas.
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TIMBA-WOLF Board Moderator Offline Timba-Wolf..... Var@*sh, should be banned!! Posts: 7158 Total Thanks: 15 For This Post: 0 KENT,(under a tree!!!!) United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #8 - Jul 5^th, 2006, 11:12pm so that was so the arches are squared off!!!
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warreng

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Re: How to get into the building trade....
Reply #9 - Jul 6^th, 2006, 11:46am

"Your local paper may have adverts for bricklayers, give one of them a go but explain your level of experience before you start otherwise you'll be sacked within the hour! "

thats the same thing i was thinking, if i find a job i wouldnt be as good as they want me to be, because i have only had college training...

im trying to get onto a modern apprenticeship course, do u think this is the next best step? because i would get actual experience as well as learning...

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TIMBA-WOLF Board Moderator Offline Timba-Wolf..... Var@*sh, should be banned!! Posts: 7158 Total Thanks: 15 For This Post: 0 KENT,(under a tree!!!!) United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: How to get into the building trade.... Reply #10 - Jul 6^th, 2006, 1:38pm Have you tried the local "house building companies" around your area, some of them do still take on apprentices .........as one of them i know starts their new brickies of on small garden walls, inner leaf of retaining walls etc!!
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JerryD

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Re: How to get into the building trade....
Reply #11 - Jul 6^th, 2006, 8:45pm

Most of the 'house building companies' don't directly employ any of the building labour, they're all subbies.

I used to go round the sites when looking for work. I'd go into the site agent's office and ask if they need any brickies. "No idea mate" he'd say "Go and talk to the subbies"

And this was the guy running the job.

Usually all the brickwork is subbed out to a gang (or several gangs if a big job) and it's up to the gangs to supply the labour, all on a price. The agent will tell them what needs building and in what order (for example "do plots 1 - 5 first" etc) but other than that the subbies decide the best way to do it.

I once employed a hod carrier who was so organised that he'd tell US which bit we were going to build next as he loaded out ahead.

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