ANOTHER brick in the wall has scored three Bathurst bricklayers a win in the Golden Trowel Competition.
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The national biennial event attracts the best apprentices bricklayers from across Australia who compete for the coveted award.
Bathurst apprentice bricklayers Kevin Sawdy and Michael Ingwersen were among those who put their skills to the test.
Nine teams took part in the three-day event which involved teams being asked to construct an identical, decorative block wall.
Mr Sawdry said it was a lot of fun taking part.
“We received the plans on Sunday, we all got the same plans,” he said.
“Then we had Monday and Tuesday to build the wall.”
In the lead up to the competition Mr Sawdry and Mr Ingwersen said they were not nervous about taking part.
However, they felt the pressure once the competition had begun, Mr Sawdry said.
It was difficult there, time management was very critical.
- Kevin Sawdry
“We had to build a block wall with the writing CMAA [Concrete Masonry Association of Australia] on it,” he said.
“It was difficult there, time management was very critical.
“Everyone just put their heads down working.”
Mr Sawdy said he and Mr Ingwersen were very excited to be crowned the best in Australia at the competition.
“It was really exciting to win,” he said.
The duo’s bricklaying teacher, NSW TAFE’s Trent Thomson, was at the competition and he also received a Golden Trowel award.
TAFE NSW Bathurst bricklaying teacher Peter Moore also taught the two men during their apprenticeships.
“I nominated these boys [to compete], they’re the best boys in the group,” he said.
Mr Moore said during the Golden Trowel, competitors are required to undertake much more complex work than just build a wall.
“It’s a lot more difficult, there’s a lot of pressure,” he said.
The CMAA website states the Golden Trowel is Australia’s only team blocklaying competition.
“[It] encourages excellence among apprentices while recognising the valuable skills of young people in a skill-shortage trade,” it states.
Mr Sawdy is a fourth year apprentice, who is employed by Skillset Workforce but hosted out to JA & T Grives Bricklaying.
While Mr Ingwersen is a second year apprentice who is employed by Jamie Stevens Bricklaying.