In the News
Saturday April 23, 2022 | 10AM – 1PM | ERX Motor Park | Elk River, Minnesota Join us for a great chance to learn about opportunities in the construction industry. This event is FREE – all are welcome and there is no registration required! We will be here, RAIN OR SHINE! Who’s invited? High School […]
The Construction Careers Foundation has named Charie Gill as its new Minnesota Trades Navigator. Gill, a social entrepreneur and Finnovation Lab Fellow, has more than 20 years of community organizing and youth mentorship experience. She previously held roles as the Director of Community Programming with the North Community YMCA in Minneapolis and served as the […]
Careers in Construction Month is a nationwide celebration and recognition of the career opportunities that exist throughout the construction industry. October is Careers in Construction Month, a month-long celebration of the rewarding and well-compensated career paths available in the building trades industry. Throughout the month, the Construction Careers Foundation, a Minneapolis-St. Paul nonprofit dedicated to […]
The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Minneapolis and St. Paul Chapters are partnering with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 292 in Minneapolis, 343 in Rochester, and 110 in St. Paul to bring Girl Scouts fun, hands-on electrical trades experiences. “We are always seeking outreach opportunities in our Minneapolis, St. Paul and greater […]
The Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA) paid summer construction trades internship program, a program of the Construction Careers Foundation, will host more than 40 student interns this summer who will explore careers in Minnesota’s building trades and construction industry. Supported by more than 20 local building and construction trade unions, the Minnesota Trades Academy provides training […]
National Women in Construction Week (WIC) takes place from March 6-12, 2022, and highlights the contributions of, and the desire to strengthen the presence of, women in America’s construction industry. The week is dedicated to challenging career stereotypes and provides an occasion to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in the construction industry. […]
The year 2021 was marked by a number of achievements for the Construction Career Foundation. The organization hosted and supported many successful efforts to enhance state-wide awareness among youth and young adults about the quality careers available in the Minnesota union construction trades. Founded in 2005, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization continuously strives in its mission […]
Construction Apprentices Share the Value of Launching a Career in the Construction Trades In 2021, more than 20 million people quit their jobs in search of a new career. People are looking for careers that are more in tune with their lifestyle, life passions, and offer better pay and better benefits. If you’re a high […]
Apprenticeships in the building and construction trades are the primary training pipeline for high school students entering Minnesota’s construction industry. While college tuition costs and student debt continue to rise, apprenticeship offers another option to young people seeking an education that leads to a good-paying career. National Apprenticeship Week (including Apprenticeship Week in Minnesota) in […]
It is no secret that diversity and inclusion efforts are a necessary part of securing a just workplace for all involved. As the third-least-diverse industry in Minnesota, according to a recent report from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the construction industry is well overdue in this regard. In the wake of this […]
Experienced education program developer Lindsay Tallman joins Construction Careers Foundation (CCF) in the role of Program Director. Tallman will oversee CCF’s Learn2Build program, a summer experience for students in grades 4-9 that allows students to build take-home projects replicating “real-world” construction materials and processes; and the Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA) program, a paid, summer internship […]
Twin Cities-based Construction Careers Foundation promotes Minnesota’s Helmets to Hardhats efforts to connect transitioning U.S. service members to registered apprenticeship opportunities in Minnesota’s construction trades. Minneapolis-St. Paul — Deciding to leave the military might be as big of a step as deciding to join. Justin Rost knows firsthand. As director of Minnesota Helmets to Hardhats, Rost […]
Every day, women are making an impact on Minnesota’s construction industry — on job sites and from behind the desk at construction companies, building and construction trade unions, and even nonprofits, such as the Construction Career Foundation. Pat Wagner Executive Director of Construction Careers Foundation This year, Finance & Commerce, a business publication serving the Minnesota […]
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Enrollment is currently open until August 30 for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49 high school pathway program. This program is in partnership with Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) and offers high school students the ability to complete online courses that expose them to career opportunities in the heavy equipment […]
LEARN2BUILD is a summer experience for students in grades 4-9 combining the fun and games of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) with exciting activities focused on the construction building trades industry. Kids work individually and in teams to learn about construction concepts and designs. Students build take-home projects replicating “real-world” construction materials and processes. The […]
College? Military service? How about a career in Minnesota’s construction trades? If you’re a parent, the future of your children is always one of your top priorities. Two major components of young adults’ futures are their education and what they might do for a career one day. Ensuring that young people get the knowledge, skills […]
As a Technical Education Teacher and Construction Career Pathway Instructor for the White Bear Lake Area School District, Dan Rossiter is committed to helping students interested in pursuing a skilled trade after high school. But it was over the course of the last year-and-a-half, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education of his students, that […]
Are you interested in pursuing a career in Minnesota’s construction trades? Do you envision yourself as an electrician, a pipefitter, an ironworker or a heavy-equipment operator? If you do, you should consider applying for a registered apprenticeship with one of Minnesota building and construction trades. In a construction apprenticeship program, apprentices learn skills and knowledge […]
New website, mndpa.org, can help connect young people to apprenticeships and jobs in Minnesota’s drywall industry. If you’re a student enrolled in high school or a two-year college program and are wondering if there’s another path toward a rewarding, good-paying job, consider a career as a drywall carpenter or plasterer. That’s the aim of the […]
The Minnesota Trades Academy summer 2021 class size will be reduced in accordance with CDC COVID-19 guidelines. The program expects to return to full capacity for the summer 2022 session. The Minnesota Trades Academy (MTA) paid summer construction trades internship program will host a reduced class size this summer with plans to resume full capacity […]
Apply Now for an apprenticeship with the Steamfitters and Pipefitters Local 455 in St. Paul and Mankato. From welding pipes in an oil refinery to installing steam systems beneath a city street, the members of Local 455 keep critical systems intact. While their work is rarely in the public eye, steamfitters and pipefitters take pride […]
Looking for a multifaceted career that involves troubleshooting, diagnosing, repair, installation, servicing and maintenance? Consider applying for an apprenticeship with Local 11 and Local 589 of the United Association of plumbers, steamfitters, pipefitters and HVAC technicians. The joint apprenticeship between these two trade unions offer young people, who are at least 18 years old and […]
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Construction Careers Foundation has announced that Sam Ebute, former Director of the Minnesota Trades Academy, will hold a new position with the Twin Cities nonprofit as a statewide Trades Navigator. The addition of this new role to the leadership team is an important step toward achieving the organizations’ COVID-19 goal to virtually […]
Spring semester enrollment for a program that offers students in Minnesota a pathway into the International Union of Operating Engineers registered apprenticeship program open until January 29th. Enrollment is currently open until January 29th for the spring semester in the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49 and Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) high school […]
When you hear the word “apprentice,” what do you think of? Do you think of medieval times with knights and blacksmiths in training hammering hot metal swords on an anvil? Or do you think of Jedi Knights in Star Wars training padawans? While the term apprentice is oftentimes referenced in historical or fantasy books and […]
CONSTRUCTION CAREERS FOUNDATION AND STATE OF MINNESOTA CELEBRATE IMPORTANT ROLE OF CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIPS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONSTRUCTION CAREERS FOUNDATION AND STATE OF MINNESOTA CELEBRATE IMPORTANT ROLE OF CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIPS Minneapolis-St. Paul — With the passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill by Congress, Minnesota’s construction trades need more young people to join […]
Apprenticeship is an important part of training and developing union building and construction trades professionals, and National Apprenticeship Week, celebrated annually each year in November, is a time for educators to make students aware of the benefits of enrolling in an apprenticeship after graduation. Apprenticeship programs conducted by Minnesota’s building and construction trades give students […]
The International Union of Operating Engineers – K12 Industry Partnership Offers Minnesota Students an Apprenticeship Pathway. The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49 and Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) have partnered to offer online courses designed to introduce Minnesota high school students in grades 9 through 12 to the heavy equipment industry. More than […]
Careers in Construction Month is a nationwide celebration and recognition of the career opportunities that exist throughout the construction industry. October is Careers in Construction Month, a month-long celebration of the rewarding and well-compensated career paths available in the building trades industry. With a projected 1 million craft professionals needed by 2023, the construction industry […]
Are you searching for your next step after graduation? Is a four-year college plan or the military not of interest to you? If you prefer working with your hands and your mind and want to earn a degree while getting paid to learn construction skills through an apprenticeship, North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) has plenty […]
During the junior year of high school in Minnesota, students are introduced to the Common Application, a college application that allows students to apply to more than 800 colleges and universities around the world – all by filling out just one form. Construction Careers Foundation, a Twin Cities nonprofit recommends juniors also download the Construction […]
NEWS RELEASE Media Contact Erin Lang Communications Manager 612-747-3471 elang@local49.org Innovative K12 Industry Partnership Offers Students in Minnesota Pathway into the International Union of Operating Engineers Registered Apprenticeship Program. While parents and educators are struggling with decisions about educational options during the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49 and Minnesota […]
MANKATO — Teens tore up concrete outside West High School Thursday. They weren’t vandals. They were getting a hands-on taste of a potential career. The new South Central Construction Trades Boot Camp introduced area high schoolers and new graduates to nine different professions. Read the full story.
Anesthesiologists, surgeons, lawyers and engineers are listed as the highest paying jobs in America. All of which require at least a four-year college degree, as well as advanced schooling. Most require young people to take on large amounts of student debt. Of course, there is another pathway into rewarding high paying careers straight out of […]
With social distancing and health safety precautions in mind, the South Central Construction Trades Boot Camp in Mankato, provided individualized hands-on experiences for youth to gain exposure to careers in the construction trades and learn about union apprenticeship training opportunities. The South Central Construction Trades Boot Camp, conducted recently in Mankato, Minnesota, gave young people […]
NEWS RELEASE The South Central Construction Trades Boot Camp is a two-week interactive camp that provides hands-on experiences for youth to gain exposure to careers in the construction trades and learn about union apprenticeship training opportunities. MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Mankato-based South Central Construction Trades Boot Camp gives young people a leg up when […]
Have you ever caught a student not paying attention in class? Maybe dozing off, chatting with another student, or taking glances at their cell phone? Well, if you’re looking for a solution, you might want to consider the experience of Dan Rossiter, a construction teacher at White Bear Lake Area High School. “I can’t say […]
Including road and bridge construction, carpenters work on nearly every type of construction site — commercial buildings, homes, apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, you name it. They are some of the first workers on a job site, and some of the last to leave. The carpentry trade offers a variety of specialties, including general construction, concrete, […]
Trade school is less expensive and shorter, Trades jobs compensate well, availability of jobs, job security, job satisfaction.
Follow these six steps to secure an apprenticeship in the construction and building trades. Do you know a student who learns by creating, inventing or working with their hands? How about a student who prefers to be active in the classroom? As students in your school reach senior year, have any expressed to their nervousness […]
If you’re pursuing a construction apprenticeship, consider the benefits of joining one of Minnesota’s 48 construction and building trades unions. When you join a union, people have your back — more than 70,000 people, in fact. Minnesota union construction professionals are known and respected for upholding the standard for quality construction in the state. Becoming […]
For teachers looking to introduce their students to the world of construction – there’s a new free online resource for you. The Construction Careers Foundation, a Twin Cities nonprofit, is now offering teachers a growing list of free educational resources to help middle-school and high-school students explore careers in construction.
Check out the Construction Trades app, the first free mobile app for youth to explore careers in Minnesota’s construction industry, apply directly to apprenticeships and get advice from industry professionals. Minnesota youth graduating from high school now have a career hub at their fingertips. Download the Construction Trades App on Google Play and in Apple Store.
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – This November 11th to November 15th the State of Minnesota, Minnesota’s Building and Construction Trades, construction companies, and trade schools celebrate the power of construction trades apprenticeships to transform the lives of Minnesota’s young people.
Apprenticeship Week in Minnesota is November 11-15, 2019. It is an opportunity for the apprenticeship community to tell their stories and share with businesses, industry, labor, education, career-seekers, community-based organizations, students and workers the advantages of developing careers through apprenticeship.
Minnesota’s trade unions, construction companies and DEED fund statewide effort – Construction Career Pathways – to attract a new generation into Minnesota’s building trades construction workers.
Girl Power! Event Encourages Young Girls to Consider the Construction Trades as a Future Career The YWCA of Minneapolis and Dunwoody College of Technology teamed up to put on Girl Power!, an event for middle school girls throughout the Twin Cities designed to help them become aware of careers in the construction trades. Girl Power! […]
Read this powerful story by the Minnesota Women’s Press about women entering the construction trades. Written by Erica Rivera. https://womenspress.com/Content/ReadersWrite/Storytellers/Article/Building-Strong-Futures/124/26/5666
Not sure if you want to get a four-year college degree after college? Don’t think military service would be a good fit either? How about applying for an apprenticeship to become an electrician, a plumber, a pipefitter or a skilled professional in one of more than 30 skilled construction trades? Just like college, there are […]
New Construction Class at Minneapolis Roosevelt High School Shows Students an Alternative to College
There’s a lot of pressure on high school students to enter college after high school. Parents, teachers, guidance counselors, friends…they all ask: “Where are you going to college?” But what if you’re a student who needs something different? What if you’re at your best when your thinking through your hands? The dilemma of high school […]
In its first year in operation, Helmets to Hardhats Minnesota achieved a major milestone – the organization assisted more than 300 veterans and active duty members in connecting with career training and employment opportunities in Minnesota’s building and construction industries. “We’ve reached 4.25 times as many veterans in 2018 than we did the previous year,” […]
As Minnesota’s economy continues to expand, there is strong demand for highly skilled construction workers. This need is especially true as construction industry observers look into the future and point to the large number of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers working in Minnesota’s construction industry who will retire in the years to come. Rising to […]
Hands-on events allow youth to learn about careers in construction As they enter their senior year, many Minnesota high school students feel the pressure – from their parents, teachers and guidance counselors — to either enroll in college or enlist in the Armed Forces. But for those students who don’t feel that either choice is […]
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (Exact date TBD, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at Cooper High School offers opportunity for students (grades 5-12) to learn about construction careers. Post will be updated with date once determined.
Construct Tomorrow, two-day event (February 26-27, 2019, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) at the Duluth (DECC) Convention Center offers opportunity for students (grades 5-12) to learn about construction careers.
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (January 30, 2019, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) at the St. Cloud State University Field House offers opportunity for students (grades 5-12) to learn about construction careers.
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (November 28, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) at the Mankato Verizon Center offers opportunity for students (grades 5-12) to learn about construction careers.
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (October 25, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) at St. Paul Public School Building offers opportunity for students (grades 5-12) to learn about construction careers.
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (October 9, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) at Eveleth Public School Building offers opportunity for students (grades 5-12) to learn about construction careers.
St. Paul, MN – Looking for a tangible way to impact young people in Saint Paul? How about ensuring that they get to internships that introduce them to careers in construction? The Saint Paul Police Department, in support of the Construction Careers Pathways, a statewide effort to introduce middle school and high school students to […]
Recently, more than 30 middle school girls attended Power Girls! at the YMCA in Minneapolis where they had the opportunity to learn about non-traditional career paths for women in the trades. The hands-on event allowed girls to learn about electricity, electrical work, plumbing, soldering, pipefitting and more through face-to-face interactions with 18 Twin Cities female […]
New website introduces Minnesota high school students to 30 different construction careers MINNEAPOLIS/SAINT PAUL – The Construction Careers Foundation has launched a new website — ConstructionCareers.org — for young adults to learn about potential careers in Minnesota’s construction industry. The website offers descriptions of 30 different construction careers with pathways on how young adults may […]
SAINT PAUL, MN (March 2018) – Justin Rost has been named interim director of Helmets to Hardhats Minnesota, a St. Paul-based nonprofit that helps U.S. military veterans transition from military service to a trades career (boilermakers, plumbers, electricians, glaziers, elevator constructors, ironworkers, heavy equipment operators, welders, roofers, steel metal workers, pipefitters, etc.) in Minnesota’s construction […]
SAINT PAUL, MN – The Construction Careers Foundation (CCF) has named Donna Kusske as director of the Building Minnesota Apprenticeship Program. The Construction Careers Foundation is a Saint Paul-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering and developing construction career pathways for Minnesotans, in particular, young adults seeking an alternative to a four-year college degree. In her new […]
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (April 18, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at Fairmont High School offers opportunity for teens to learn about construction careers.
Construct Tomorrow, one-day event (April 11, 2018, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) at Robbinsdale Cooper High School offers opportunity for teens to learn about construction careers.
Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center, Minn., 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free event to help Minnesotans learn about trade apprenticeship opportunities.
Jax Café, Minneapolis, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Contractors and local unions celebrate the veterans who helped to build Minnesota. Contact Joel Welter, Helmets to Hardhats Minnesota, 763-354-4546.
SAINT PAUL, MN (December 14, 2017) — The Construction Careers Foundation is proud to announce the hiring of Joel Welter, a pipefitter and active member of the U.S. Army Reserve, to lead a new effort to attract veterans as well as active duty members of the military to careers in construction in Minnesota. The Construction […]
Construct Tomorrow, Two-day event (Feb. 27-28) at the DECC in Duluth. High school students invited to learn about careers in construction.
Minneapolis STEM and Career Exploration Expo, Minneapolis Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eighth grade students enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools learn about STEM-related careers, including the construction trades.