FEATURE DYLAN STACEY
HITTER A boxer and bricklayer – an apprentice at this stage – Dylan Stacey, appreciates the value of hard work, monitoring his progress and working outdoors HEAVY
I t’s no easy task being 16 years old and trying to plan your future, but Dylan Stacey has a few clear ideas on what he wants from his working life. “Well, I can’t sit down for too long so I can’t see myself in an office. I like being outside, and I like to see my progress at the end of the day. With bricklaying, I can look back at the end of work and say, ‘I’ve done that.’” For a long time, Stacey has been drawn to brickwork, enjoying the sight of a completed house. In fact, this was what inspired him to pursue his bricklaying apprenticeship, which he is busy completing with Stanley C Baker & Sons in Glastonbury. Stacey is the first in his family to find work on a construction site – and his parents are positive about his decision. “They thought it was a good idea and that the job suits me. Because none of my family have been in the construction industry, no one has helped me with the physical skills side
matters to take care of first: “Exams got in the way and I couldn’t box. But I’ll be fighting soon, though.” Insights from the boxing ring and on the construction site have dovetailed, with Stacey understanding the value of discipline and hard work. “The best advice I have received so far on site has been to work hard, no matter what,” Stacey explains. Implementing the words of wisdom have been relatively easy to do although the work can be tiring at times, he adds. Learning from the best An avid learner, Stacey says what he has enjoyed most about the first few months of his apprenticeship is studiously watching those around him – with their many years of experience – carry out their work with such meticulous care. Being out in the sunshine hasn’t hurt either, and yes, he wears sunscreen. As for what happens once he becomes a fully fledged bricklayer, well the future is yet unwritten. “I’m going to see where bricklaying takes me. I’m interested in taking on another trade, like carpentry, at some point, so maybe I will just get a few trades down.” Regardless of what Stacey does next, it’s safe to say that the foundations upon which he can now build are as solid as a house built by a Master Builder.
Dylan Stacey at a glance Age: 16 Hometown: Meare, Somerset Type of apprentice: Bricklayer Time with his employer: Seven months Hobbies outside of work: Boxing
in the gym or throwing punches in the boxing ring. His favourite combination, in case you’re wondering, is a one-two-left hook. Having trained consistently for around two years, he has just received his medical card that says he is fit to fight competitively. It hasn’t happened just yet as there have been more pressing
of things. But mentally and emotionally, they’ve helped me a lot.” Not that Stacey needs much help, though. Committed and resilient, when off site and outside of college, you will find Stacey
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