Checkoff, he established the Junior Blocklayer program, which offers youth, regardless of their skill set, fun hands-on challenges and competitions that expose them to the joy and pride of masonry.
Students aren't the only ones who benefit from the program. Junior Blocklayer gives the industry a practical way to create awareness while strengthening the next generation of the masonry and design industry. Shaver built the program around his core belief that engagement in a trade starts with experience.
MIND YOUR BUSINESS
How Education, Pay and Purpose has Renewed Interest in Trade Jobs
(BPT) - Growing up, Ryan Shaver - executive director of the North Carolina Masonry Contractors Association (NCMCA) - hadn't planned on pursuing a career in the trades. But everything changed in 1989 when he enrolled in a high school masonry class. "From that moment, I knew I wanted to be out there building things with my hands, and I'm proud to say, I've never looked back," said Shaver.
What started as a random elective changed the course of Shaver's life. Now, he's using his years of experience in concrete masonry to give back, acting as an educator, mentor and advocate for the masonry trade. "I want to see this industry grow in ways we have never seen," Shaver said. "Masonry has always been about building things that last. If we get people excited and organized, the impact will last, too."
After spending decades working across every side of the concrete masonry industry, Shaver wanted to do more to nurture the next generation of masonry. With the support of the Concrete Masonry
Article by Ryan Shaver - executive director