The International Masonry Institute, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 and Carpenters Company of Philadelphia recently organized a field visit to Local 1’s training center for a half-dozen students from Mastbaum Vo-Tech and Girard College.
The visit to the training center, at 2702 Black Lake Place in the Far Northeast, was part of a 10-week after-school mentoring program introducing young people to careers in architecture, construction, engineering (ACE) and the trades.
Students toured the training center and learned the ingredients of mortar and the differences between cement and concrete and between the front and back of a brick.
During the visit, students were organized into groups of three. Before going to work, they donned gloves and safety glasses and stretched.
Mastbaum was represented by Bao Ly, a sophomore from Mayfair studying electrical; Ethan Jiang, a sophomore from Pennypack studying welding; and Esther Cleophat, a junior from Frankford studying carpentry.
Girard College representatives were seniors Raheem Devlin, Dammon Harding-Rogers and Maria Beford.
Phil Bachetti, Local 1’s masonry instructor, taught the students how to use a trowel to spread mortar before laying brick.
Matt Schanbacher, the union’s apprentice coordinator, provided instruction on putting joint compound on drywall before cutting and setting tile and applying grout. The finished product spelled out the acronym ACE.
The young people learned that apprentices work weekdays and come to the training center on Saturdays for further education on tile, stone, brick and PCC (pointing, caulking, cleaning) restoration. Apprenticeships typically last 3-4 years, with advanced training available thereafter.
The Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia (a 300-year-old trade guild that runs Old City’s Carpenters’ Hall, home of 1774’s First Continental Congress) created the program in partnership with the ACE Mentor Program.
The initiative pairs students with volunteer industry professionals for presentations, demonstrations, site visits and applied learning experiences. It was named ACE Mentor Program of the Year in 2025.
The program is part of the Master Builders’ Institute, the educational arm of the Carpenters’ Company. It gives students early exposure to in-demand career pathways. ••
To apply to join Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, visit https://bac-1.org/join-local-1/
