DETROIT — The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights unveiled a 44-foot trailer with hands on and virtual challenges that will allow students to get a sense of what a career as a union Carpenter or Millwright could be. The trailer is part of a program called, “Schools to Tools” that is focused on ensuring students learn about the prospect of a career as a Carpenter.
Thanks to historic investments in infrastructure, chip technology and clean energy, the Michigan Department of Technology and Budget named Carpenters as a Hot 50 job based on the high demand for skilled trades workers and the fact that it is a high wage career. With the funding for new construction across Michigan and the country, there is a heightened demand for skilled trades workers.
In response, MRCC has created programs to help students learn about joining the trades and to talk to educators about the need to discuss the skilled trades as a viable career path for all students worthy of consideration on the same level as college.
“We are so excited to travel the state, bringing the field trip to students right at their school,” said Tom Lutz, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights. “There has never been a better time to start a career as a unionized carpenter or millwright, and the fact of the matter is that our state needs to fill the skilled trades gap to finish all of the projects in the pipeline thanks to historic public and private investments over the past few years.”
The Carpenters and Millwrights union pointed out in a press release that the trailer is just one of many programs they have created to fill the need for more Carpenters.
“Mobile Field Trips are just one program our Union is doing to give students and people from all walks of life the opportunity to learn about a great career as a Carpenter or Millwright,” Lutz continued. “We have launched our NFL-style hiring combines, Parent Curriculum Days to allow parents to see the great opportunities that exist for their kids, and Career Days so students can hear from instructors and current apprentices. On Labor Day, we both honor our past, celebrate our present, and do what we’ve always done – open the door to opportunity and pass down our knowledge to the next generation of Carpenters and Millwrights.”
