Masonry Magazine June 1970 Page. 20
Manchester, N.H. Trains 35 Apprentices
Local No. 6 BMPIU, of Manchester, N.H. recently completed a most successful year of apprenticeship training for 35 students. Responsibility for the success of this program must be divided among a large group of participants.
John Keane, Treasurer Local No. 6 has worked untiringly on apprenticeship for many years. Recently he has had the complete help and cooperation of Norman Joy, Business Agent.
John Ineson, Secretary, and the State Conference BMPIU have given continual help. Recent success in affiliating signatory contractors has probably given the program the biggest push, since their funds have been combined with federal to enhance the program.
These funds are supervised by Charles Gannon, Director of Apprenticeship Training for the Department of Labor and are administered by Mr. N. Andrews. Chief, Vocational and Technical Division of the N.H. Department of Education.
The actual instruction is supervised by George Knox, Director of the Manchester Vocational and Technical College while Christian Reischauer of Guy Wilson Inc., Concord, supervised blueprint reading while Gerald Belanger of Nashua demonstrated Trowel Techniques. A year of instruction involves 144 hours of classroom work. Instruction on the scaffold after four years produces a full fledged journeyman drawing top pay. Individual recognition keeps them interested.
Local No. 6 has encouraged well qualified young men to submit applications for consideration for training opportunities.
Prior to graduation the class visited Kane-Gonic Brick Co. at Gonic, N.H. to inspect their products and then the Duracrete Block Co. Inc., in Hooksett, N.H. to see how concrete masonry units, Glazon and Fielding Slabs are produced.
At Duracrete Leo Pepino of Manchester demonstrated techniques of finishing terrazzo floors and George Boisvert, also of Manchester, showed the apprentices how to apply protective coatings to concrete masonry surfaces.
It is apparent that a good apprenticeship program involves a lot of people: Contractors who need help; Manufacturers who have products to sell; Labor which does not want to see masonry projects dry up for lack of help; and Apprentices who are in the trade because they like it.
The construction industry is benefited by being able to specify what they want instead of having to make substitutions.
A good apprenticeship program does, indeed require the cooperation of a lot of people.
Left to right are: Christian Reischauer, Concord, Instructor in Blue Print Reading: Norman Joy. Business Agent, Portsmouth: Gerry Belanger, Nashua, Instructor in Trowel Technique and John Keane, Treasurer Local No. 6 and Coordinator discuss plans for next years program at Duracrete.
George Boisvert of Manchester demonstrates the proper use of the trowel in application of protective coatings to kiln walls. Watching closely is Bruno Marchqicz of Manchester.
Leo Pepino demonstrates the technique for finishing terrazzo floors to the union apprentice training class of BMPIU. Getting involved are: left, Paul Trudeau, Manchester and Norman Turcotte, Rochester.