This paper is about the changing nature of skilled manual occupations in Europe, with particular reference to bricklaying – an occupation often regarded as archetypal of construction and of skilled manual work. It seeks to distinguish between the division of labour in terms of occupations and in terms of trades. A trade is defined not in relation to the capabilities or qualifications of a person but to a particular range of tasks in the workplace. It is thus linked to a specific output - that is with ‘work’ as the output of labour, as distinct from the power of labour itself which Biernacki (1995) terms ‘labour power’.

In contrast to a trade, an occupation is a formally recognised social category, with a regulative structure concerning vocational education and training (VET), qualifications, promotion and the range of knowledge, both practical and theoretical, that is required to undertake the activities that fall within it. Occupations are associated with labour potential, with the development of occupational capacity over a working life, and are founded on abilities which are holistic and multi-dimensional rather than being solely confined to often narrow trade skills. Through a critical discussion of MacIntyre’s (1981) concept of a practice, it is shown how occupations, to a much greater degree than trades, have a social and political, as well as an economic significance for their members and the societies in which they exist.

Bricklaying is taken as a case study for the trade/occupation contrast. Drawing on recent research across eight European countries (Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland), it is shown that clear differences exist between, on the one hand, bricklaying as an occupation - negotiated, defined and regulated by a range of stakeholders (including the social partners and educationalists) and recognized through qualifications - and, on the other hand, bricklaying as a demarcated trade – defined by its output and performance as distinct from other trades usually with  a narrow focus on a range of core tasks (Brockmann et al. 2010). By extrapolating to future likely developments within the construction industry in Europe, it is shown why, as an occupation, bricklaying has more potential to accommodate to likely changes in the construction and bricklaying labour process over the next ten years than it does as a trade. These changes include a greater need for self-direction within teams of workers and the ability to adapt to rapid changes in technology and technique within the construction industry. Implications are drawn for the future trajectory of bricklaying in the UK context.

Biernacki R. (1995) The Fabrication of Labour: Germany and Britain 1640-1914, Californian Press. Brockmann M., Clarke L. and Winch C. (eds) (2010) Bricklaying is more than a Flemish Bond: Bricklaying qualifications in Europe, CLR. MacIntyre (1981). After Virtue. London: Duckworth.