A structured pathway from service to site.

Military to Masonry

Built for those moving from the service to the skilled trade.

Apply as a service leaver
Support as an employer

Leaving the Armed Forces is not the end of structure, purpose, or pride in your work. Military to Masonry exists to make sure of that.

 

What is Military to Masonry?

Military to Masonry gives you a clear mission: train hard, work to standard, and build a long-term career. This isn’t just a job for now, but a trade you can grow into, with further qualifications, progression, and stability.

If you are leaving the Armed Forces and want a direct route into work, Military to Masonry is built to get you there.

Participants move through a defined process, from pre-course preparation to intensive practical training taking place over 10 days. Upon completion of the training, participants will transition directly into site placements with committed employer partners.

The training is short, focused, and practical, designed around the realities of construction site work rather than classroom learning. It reflects the discipline, structure, and teamwork familiar to those leaving the Armed Forces, helping participants transition smoothly from service life to site life.

Military to Masonry is delivered in partnership with established training providers and construction organisations, ensuring the programme aligns with real site expectations and current industry standards. The aim is simple: prepare service leavers to be productive on site from day one, and support employers with a clear, dependable route into skilled labour.

A guaranteed route into paid site work.

Not endless applications or unpaid trials.

Clear structure and routine.

Built around early starts, standards, and accountability.

Practical, hands-on training.

Focused on doing the job properly, not sitting in a classroom.

Recognised site access.

Including Health & Safety training and a CSCS Red Trainee Card.

Ongoing support after you start work.

So you are not left to sink or swim on site.

The training process explained

Before the practical training begins, you are supported to complete your Level 1 Health & Safety qualification and secure your CSCS Red Trainee Card. This means that, when training starts, you are already site-ready.

From day one, the focus is on bricklaying skills, productivity, accuracy, and working safely as part of a team. Over the ten days, you will move fast. You’ll start by learning how to handle materials properly and lay a single brick to standard. By the end of the programme, you will be laying bricks to a line, working with profiles, understanding cavity construction, and hitting realistic daily targets.

The structure is deliberate. Repetition builds confidence. Discipline builds consistency. By day ten, you are ready to contribute effectively on site, not just stand and watch.

Military to Masonry does not stop when the training ends. Every participant enters the programme with a guaranteed placement with a committed employer. You are not sent away to “find work”. You step straight into employment, supported by experienced tradespeople and ongoing check-ins at set stages in your early weeks on site.

This programme is built on the belief that the construction industry is a natural fit for service leavers. Teamwork matters. Standards matter. Turning up on time, every time, matters. The work is physical, demanding, and honest, and the results are there to see at the end of the day. For many leaving the Forces, it feels familiar, because it is.

Military to Masonry gives you a clear mission: train hard, work to standard, and build a long-term career. Not just a job for now, but a trade you can grow into, with further qualifications, progression, and stability.

If you are leaving the Armed Forces and want a direct route into work, Military to Masonry is built to get you there.

How the Military to Masonry pathway works

Military to Masonry is built on the belief that the construction industry is a natural fit for service leavers. Teamwork matters. Standards matter. Turning up on time, every time, matters. The work is physical, demanding, and honest, and the results are there to be seen at the end of the day. For many leaving the Forces, it feels familiar, because it is.

 

The process mirrors the structure and accountability you’ll be familiar with from military life, while preparing you for the physical, practical, and team-based realities of site work. You are trained to standard, introduced to employers who understand the value of service leavers, and supported as you transition into work.

Step 1 – Pre-course preparation.

Before training begins, you complete the essential safety requirements needed to work on construction sites. This includes your Level 1 Health & Safety qualification and CSCS Red Trainee Card. You arrive ready to train, ready to work, and ready to be taken seriously.

Step 2 – Intensive practical training.

You complete a 10-day masonry training programme focused on real site skills. Training is hands-on, structured, and demanding, with early starts, clear targets, and daily progress. The focus is on accuracy, consistency, productivity, and safe working, not classroom theory.

Step 3 – Employer engagement.

Throughout the programme, employer partners are involved and engaged. They understand the training you have completed and the standards expected. This stage ensures training leads directly to employment, not interviews or trials.

Step 4 – Transition into site work.

After training, you move straight into paid site work with a committed employer. You work alongside experienced tradespeople and are supported as you settle into site routines, expectations, and team structures.

Step 5 – Ongoing development.

Support does not stop once work begins. Regular check-ins, mentoring, and progression opportunities are built in to help you develop skills, confidence, and long-term career prospects within the construction industry.

Apply to join the Military to Masonry programme

Military to Masonry is designed for service leavers who want a direct route into paid construction work, not another course with no clear outcome.

This programme exists to move you from leaving the Armed Forces into real, on-site employment as quickly and safely as possible. You are not applying for training in isolation. You are applying for a structured pathway that leads to work with committed employer partners who understand the value of service leavers.

The 10-day training programme is the gateway, not the destination. If you are accepted onto the programme, you train to standard, prove yourself through practical performance, and move directly into paid site work. There is no job-hunting phase at the end and no expectation that you “figure it out” on your own.

The application process allows us to understand your background, service history, and current situation so we can assess eligibility and provide the right level of support. Your information is reviewed by the programme team and used only to support your progression into work.

Completing the form does not commit you to the programme, but it does start the process of securing your next role. The form is straightforward and takes around 10–15 minutes to complete. No documents are required at this stage.

Apply as a service leaver

What happens after you apply

Once your application is submitted, the pathway moves quickly and with purpose:

  • Your application is reviewed by the programme team

  • We may contact you to confirm details or discuss suitability

  • If appropriate, you are guided into the next stage of the pathway

  • You are kept informed at every step, with clear direction on what happens next.

There is no silence, no chasing, and no uncertainty. You are either moved forward or given clear guidance on your options.

What this programme offers you

  • Guaranteed paid site work with committed employer partners
  • Short, intensive training focused on real site skills
  • Recognised site access, including Health & Safety and CSCS
  • Ongoing support after you start work, not just during training
  • A clear route to progression, further qualifications, and long-term stability
Apply as a service leaver
Download Information Guide

Support the Military to Masonry programme

Military to Masonry is delivered in partnership with established training providers and construction organisations. The below form is for employers and businesses who are interested in supporting the Military to Masonry programme.

Completing this form does not commit your organisation to anything. It simply lets us know who you are, how to contact you, and how you may be able to support the programme.

Support can take many forms, including offering site placements, employment opportunities, mentoring, or general industry involvement. We will discuss details with you after your submission is received.

Once your details are received:

  • A member of the programme team will review your submission
  • We will contact you to discuss your interest and answer any questions
  • Any next steps will be agreed collaboratively, based on your organisation’s capacity and interests.
Support as an employer

Military to Masonry

Delivered in partnership with MAGB, Grayson (GB) Ltd, G&B Brickwork and Site Ready Solutions.
 
The Masonry Association of Great Britain
5th Floor
167-169 Great Portland Street
London
W1 W5PF

Specialists in preparing individuals for employment in construction. Their focus on workplace readiness, productivity, and mentoring ensures that learners not only gain technical skills but also understand the realities of site culture and expectations from day one.

CITB Approved Training Organisation dedicated exclusively to masonry training. With highly experienced tutors and purpose-built training facilities, the Academy provides high quality NVQ’s, upskilling programmes, and entry level programmes across the UK.

A respected brickwork contractor with first-hand experience of transitioning from the Armed Forces into construction. G&B understands both the challenges and opportunities of building a life after military service and uses this insight to support Service leavers entering the trade. Their teams provide a realistic understanding of the pace, standards, and culture of modern bricklaying gangs, ensuring learners can quickly bridge the gap between training and sustained employment.

A leading supplier of specialist construction solutions. Grayson supports the programme by providing technical knowledge, innovative products, and materials, helping learners understand not only how to lay bricks but also how modern components integrate into high-quality masonry construction.

Apply as a service leaver

Emergency Contact Details

Declaration

Express interest to join scheme as an employer

The leading authority on building quality in the UK. NHBC’s involvement ensures that the training is aligned with the highest industry standards, building confidence among employers that graduates are trained to deliver work that meets strict compliance and quality benchmarks.