Solid Advice From A Cement Mason

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

“Do what you love doing, be the best you can be in what you do, and make a career out of it. As simple as that” That’s the plain-spoken advice Rosella Scott (right) – a long time instructor at the Cement Masons Local 891 Training Center -- offered at a recent early-morning hands-on session for DC-area residents learning a trade in the Community Services Agency’s (CSA) Building Futures program. Scott’s enthusiasm for his trade is infectious. “This is me, Ms. Sylvia…This is me!” said one student, smoothing cement evenly, reveling in his new-found skills. Just another day on the job for Scott, who’s helped set a solid foundation for every concrete finisher who’s graduated from the Cement Masons apprenticeship program over the last 39 years.  How to lay and finish concrete is just the beginning of Scott’s lessons, as he carefully instructs the latest generation of students, always leading by example and inspiring them to be reliable, to cultivate their own inner strength, and to dedicate themselves to lifelong learning and work excellence. CSA has been working with Local 891 and their training center since 2009 as part of an ongoing program offering training in the building trades for area residents interested in a career in construction. Two Building Futures graduates – both female -- are now in the Cement Mason's apprenticeship program; one is working on a downtown commercial construction project and the other is doing heavy road construction in Northeast DC. - report/photo by Sylvia Casaro