IN-DEMAND CAREERS
High
1 YEAR
$61071
56,344
INTRODUCTION
Cement masons, often referred to as concrete finishers or concrete masons, are skilled tradespeople who work with concrete to create and finish various types of structures. Cement masons play a crucial role in the construction industry, as the quality of concrete work significantly impacts the structural integrity and aesthetics of buildings and infrastructure. Their work requires skill, precision, and knowledge of various concrete techniques and materials.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
- Cement masons are responsible for pouring and placing concrete in the desired location, whether it’s for foundations, sidewalks, roads, or other construction projects.
- They smooth and finish the concrete surfaces using hand tools or power tools like trowels, floats, and edgers. This process involves creating a level and aesthetically pleasing surface.
- Depending on the project requirements, cement masons may apply various textures or patterns to the concrete surface. This can be for decorative purposes or to provide better traction on surfaces like walkways.
- Cement masons create control joints and expansion joints in the concrete to control cracking and expansion due to temperature changes or settling.
- Cement masons ensure that the concrete cures properly by applying curing compounds or keeping the surface moist for a specified period. Proper curing is essential for the strength and durability of the concrete.
- Cement masons may be involved in repairing or patching damaged or deteriorating concrete surfaces. This includes removing and replacing sections of concrete when necessary.
- Cement masons often assist in setting up the formwork or molds that hold the concrete in place while it sets and hardens. This requires precise measurements and attention to detail.
- Cement masons must follow safety protocols and guidelines to protect themselves and others from potential hazards associated with working with concrete, such as heavy machinery and chemical exposure, ensuring that the finished concrete meets the required specifications, including strength, appearance, and durability.
Enhance Your Skills. Advance Your Life.
he OPCMIA operates a host of training programs that open doors of opportunity to fulfilling careers in our crafts for aspiring workers — and that guarantee the most skilled, safest, most productive workers in the world to contractors.
If you’re looking for a career in a skilled trade with good wages and benefits and lifelong work in a fulfilling profession, you can earn as you learn to be a plasterer or cement mason through the OPCMIA International Training Fund’s Apprenticeship Program (ITF).
If you’re still in high school or a recent graduate with no experience in the building trades, the OPCMIA’s partnership with the federal government’s Job Corps program, the National Plastering Industry’s Joint Apprenticeship Trust Fund (NPIJATF), enables you to join a pre-apprenticeship program that will give you a leg up in entering our craft.
If you’re an experienced plasterer or cement mason, the OPCMIA International Training Fund keeps you at the top of your craft with upgrading and safety courses that incorporate the latest processes, materials and technological breakthroughs.
And if you’re a contractor seeking a competitive advantage, OPCMIA apprentices and journeypeople ensure that you build your project on budget, on time, and to the highest standards.
Simply put, training is the foundation for everything the OPCMIA does. Because our members and our signatory contractors depend on it for their success.
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