These building trade occupations take lots of vocational training to undertake, but they all promise a rewarding future in areas where the construction industry is thriving. Stonemason at work. When you see a brick or stone building, sidewalk, floor or wall, you re seeing the work of a bricklayer or stonemason. Their work varies from laying a simple brick walkway to installing the ornate exterior of a high-rise building. Bricklayers build walls, floors, partitions, fireplaces, chimneys and other structures with brick, pre-cast masonry panels, concrete block and other masonry materials.
Stonemasons build similar surfaces or structures out of stone.
Like bricklayers, stonemasons also work on large buildings such as houses of worship, hotels and office buildings. Bricklayers and stonemasons use blueprints that guide the layout of the bricks or stones. Typical job duties include installing brick veneer on a building, cutting stone to particular sizes and shapes, setting brick or stone on a mortar base and filling joints with mortar. Workers in these crafts are employed primarily by special trade, building or general contractors. About 30 percent are self-employed.