Rick Martagon speaks from experience when he extols the virtues of working in the building trades.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Martagon has spent 27 years in the construction industry, including work as a tile layer. His current role is executive director of Building Strong Communities, a free program dedicated to training women, minorities and veterans for careers in the trades.
In between those jobs, he was the state program administrator of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Indusry’s Apprenticeship Minnesota program, and president of the Apprenticeship Coordinators Association of Minnesota. From 2007 to 2015, he was the apprenticeship coordinator and training director for the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1.
In this interview, Martagon talks about the mission of Building Strong Communities, its efforts to bring more under-represented people into the building trades, and more.