Report of the MCAA Education Committee

Words: Andy Sneed

Live Webinar Series

MCAA’s Live Webinar Series was a bigger and better than ever in 2012, building on the success from the 2011 series. Hundreds of attendees attended more than forty courses last year, the most ever offered by the MCAA. Topics ranged from increasing production and best practices to quality assurance and green building.

The 2013 season will kick off on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 with Introduction to Movement Joints for Masons. Additional topics will include Introduction to Building Information Modeling, Understanding Masonry Codes and Standards, Masonry Wall Bracing, and much more. Each webinar is geared to help mason contractors complete certification requirements.

At the conclusion of the 2013 Live Webinar Season, mason contractors and their supervisors will have been able to earn more than seventy credits to complete the Codes and Standards, Ethics and Business Practices, Bidding Practices and Masonry Products disciplines.

New for 2013 is the Live Webinar Season Pass. The 2013 Live Webinar Season Pass gives you and your entire company year-round access to all live and on demand, recorded webinars for the calendar year. The Live Webinar Season Pass can be purchased for only $300.00 ($600.00 for non-members). Individual webinars will still be available for purchase starting at $25.00 for members ($50.00 for non-members).

Visit www.masoncontractors.org/live to purchase the 2013 Live Webinar Season Pass and view a list of upcoming webinars for 2013.

New Programs

The Education Committee has been tasked with the goal of creating new education programs for mason contractors. The Committee will focus on courses for employers taught by attorneys, CPAs and insurance executives; classes to sharpen and increase skills of project managers and estimators; and new courses taught by fellow mason contractors.

The Committee plans to continue round table discussion groups with general contractors, construction managers, design-build contractors, architects, and engineers. The round tables will be presented during the 2013 MCAA Convention.

A group of mason contractors from across the nation is forming a webinar to teach masonry submittal procedures.

Standard Practice for Bracing Masonry Walls

The MCAA has released an updated version of the Standard Practice for Bracing Masonry Walls Under Construction. The wall bracing standard has been updated with the current code cycle. Additionally, the Masonry Wall Bracing seminar has been updated to utilize the new standard and highlight the significant changes.

Review of MQI

The Education Committee will audit the Masonry Quality Institute (MQI) during the 2013 MCAA Convention. A group will be formed to rewrite and replace the MQI in the future.

The Year Ahead

The Education Committee will continue to provide top quality education programs to mason contractors and work to develop new courses for the masonry industry.
 0
Masonry in the Media: Smithsonian Castle, St. Pancras Station, & More
September 2025

From an iconic museum where the historical figures come to life to a train station in a romcom reunion, these remarkable masonry structures play a crucial role in a film as they set the tone and atmosphere of the scenes they are featured in. Smithsonian

Masonry in the Media
Read More
Fechino Files: Mortar Net Solution Masonry Apprentice Scholarship 2025
September 2025

This year, Mortar Net will be presenting 40 Masonry Apprentice Scholarships to individuals across the country who are in their training to become topped-out mechanics. We have a very impressive list of sponsors that have really added to the value and impo

Fechino Files
Read More
GEN NXT: Emmalyn Sides
September 2025

This month, the MCAA got the chance to talk with 19-year-old Emmalyn Sides who is at the beginning of her journey in the masonry industry. Her love for competing and improving her skills is apparent and her love for the craft is the exact reason she was p

GEN NXT
Read More
Contractor Tip of the Month: It’s Hard to Beat the Person Who Never Gives Up
September 2025

Persistence doesn’t always look like progress. It’s not a trophy or a headline. It’s the decision to keep showing up, especially when the numbers don’t break your way. For many contractors, that decision is personal rather than public. It’s made in the qu

Contractor Tip of the Month
Read More