Who is a mason?
A mason is an artisan or a worker skilled in masonry or closely related field. In simple terms, masonry is the construction or building of various physical structures such as residential houses, office blocks and commercial buildings among others using bricks, clay, stones and concrete blocks among materials. Masons erects repairs and finishes foundations, walls and other structures made of stone, bricks, concrete blocks, and tiles among other construction duties.

Other related career option(s)

1. Stonemason
2. Bricklayer
3. Plasterer
4. Builder
5. Concrete Block Maker
6. Brick and Tile Moulder
7. Floor Layer

What is the work environment?
Masons work both indoor and outdoor environments building various construction projects.

Some important skills to have
To work effectively, masons need to have some important skills and qualities such as;

1. Ability to examine/ read construction drawings, and plans in order to determine material requirements and other construction specifications.
2. Color vision for those specialized in flooring works for perfect finishing
3. Ability to use hands to handle various materials such as bricks, stones etc.
4. Safety awareness to reduce injuries associated with construction works
5. Hand and eye coordination especially when setting out mortar for brick laying
6. Physical stamina as the work may involve constant lifting of building materials
7. Unafraid of heights as masons often work on scaffolding structures
8. Communication skills to communicate effectively with clients & colleagues
9. Interpersonal skills to relate well with workmates and customers
10. Among others.

What are some career opportunities?
Masons can find work in various places such as; construction companies, civil engineering companies, building maintenance contractors, real estate managers/ developers, maintenance departments within businesses, as well as government departments among other areas.

Masons can also use their creativity and start their own profit making ventures (self-employment).

Becoming a mason: Artisan level

Admission requirements
To pursue a career as a mason right from secondary school, a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), mean grade D- (minus) and below is required.

Training & Study options
With a KCSE mean grade D- (minus) and below, you can proceed to a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college and enroll for an appropriate artisan course. Artisan courses are also offered within Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) within your region.

So what course(s) can you pursue in TVET colleges?

1. Artisan in masonry
2. Trade test in masonry
3. Grade III in masonry
4. Or other similar/ related courses

Education Progression
After a successful completion of an artisan course, you can advance your education upward (in a relevant field) up to university level if that’s your goal. How is this possible?

1. Get an artisan certificate
2. Advance to craft certificate, (in a relevant field)
3. Advance to diploma certificate, (in a relevant field)
4. Advance to degree certificate, (in a relevant field)

How to Join TVET College.
There are two ways you can follow to join training institution(s) in pursuit of your career of choice. The majority way is applying through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps). This is a state owned agency that admits/ places government sponsored students to TVET colleges and universities. One of the advantages of applying through Kuccps is that, upon successful placement, you will pay subsidized fee as a government sponsored student.

To be placed through Kuccps you must have attained a certain pass mark required for various education levels such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and artisan courses. For an artisan course, you need a KCSE mean grade E. For more details on placement criteria, visit Kuccps website. The second approach is applying directly to training institution of your choice. Students who opt to apply this way do not get government fee subsidy and are therefore self-sponsored.

How to fund your post-secondary education.
If you are a needy student, upon application, you can get education loan from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), a state owned institution that gives education loans to students joining technical colleges and universities. You can also access education bursaries from your local Member of Parliament (MP) or the County Government among other sources.

Always remember this!
Information provided on this website is for career awareness only, and not for any other purpose.

We know career life will take a significant part of your life journey, and your career choice will greatly influence how that journey unfolds. Therefore, before you make any career choice, before you commit yourself to any career or study option, be sure of what you are doing. It is advisable to seek professional advice from career advisors to navigate this very important process.

Need more information? We can provide you with additional career and education related information to meet your individual needs.