“I learned more about concrete work in one year as a union worker than I did in three years as a non-union worker.”
That statement from Cement Masons Local 633 apprentice Bryce Younger says it all.
As reported by the Minneapolis Labor Review, Younger and approximately 100 of his sisters and brothers participated in Local 633’s annual “Concrete Christmas” training exercise at its New Brighton, Minnesota, training center, where they planned and built steps, ramps, and curbs that meet Americans with Disability Act standards.
In past years, Concrete Christmas involved building a giant concrete snowman, a gingerbread house, and other projects. But Apprentice Coordinator Brian Farmer said that this year, “I’m trying to cycle back to the tools of our tr“I learned more about concrete work in one year as a union worker than I did in three years as a non-union worker.” That statement from Cement Masons Local 633 apprentice Bryce Younger speaks volumes about the value of OPCMIA apprenticeships. ade, functional things, instead of a winter wonderland.”
Concrete Christmas was a big hit with the apprentices. “The instructors make it fun so you’re able to learn,” said Justin Jenson. “I’m a hands-on learner, so being able to build and do the steps as the instructors are right with us while you’re learning is huge.”
“This is exactly the kind of initiative that makes OPCMIA apprenticeship programs the best in the world, said OPCMIA Director of Training, Health, and Safety Tony Longbrake. “Local 633’s great work exemplifies how an OPCMIA apprenticeship is not only the entry point to a fulfilling, lifelong career, but how it’s also fun and rewarding in its own right.”
Click here for a PDF of the Minneapolis Labor Review article.
