Minnesota Trades Academy to Provide More than 40 Paid Summer Internships to Minneapolis-St. Paul-Area Students
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 and mentorship to Twin Cities-area students, ages 16 to 21 years old.
The Minnesota Trades Academy partners with Minneapolis Step Up, St. Paul Right Track, Ramsey County’s Hired and Brooklyn Centers’ BrookLynk in hosting its program each summer.
The program consists of two tracks of study. The Track I internship program focuses on hands-on building with tools and an introduction to construction career opportunities. Track II focuses on guiding students interested in a career in construction through apprenticeship union training center tours, including training in how to participate in an interview, often one of the first steps in securing a real-life apprenticeship with a Minnesota construction trade union.
The Minnesota Trades Academy program runs from June 21 – August 11, 2022, and interns work from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. four days a week.
“We’re optimistic and excited to increase the number of interns we can host and pay,” said Construction Careers Foundation Program Director Lindsay Tallman. “We scaled back last summer due to the pandemic when some of our volunteers fell into high-risk categories. This summer, we will be operating at full strength.”
Minnesota Trades Academy Builds Community and Interest in Construction Careers
“This program is incredible in that it pays student interns and gives them the opportunity to work 20-30 hours a week on real-life projects, such as building dressers with Bridging, a Twin Cities based nonprofit organization. Eventually the dressers were provided to families transitioning out of homelessness.” said Tallman. “Interns also make $14-$15/hour, so participating in the Minnesota Trades Academy program can take the place of those seeking another summer job.”
Sam Ebute, Trades Navigator for the Construction Careers Foundation, also serves as a mentor and resource for students in the Minnesota Trades Academy who have questions about the apprenticeship process. Throughout the year, Ebute works to connect committed students who participated in the Minnesota Trades Academy with career opportunities made available by Construction Careers Foundation stakeholders, such as construction trade unions, as well as union training centers and signatory contractors.
“These programs help youth unlock their potential, and for many students, having these resources and hands-on opportunities to work with tools on construction sites is critical to their decision to seek out a career in the field,” Ebute said.
Learn more about Sam Ebute’s role as Statewide Trades Navigator.
“Minnesota’s construction workforce needs the next generation of young people to build Minnesota,” Ebute said. “Our job is to find young people who love to work with their hands and build things — and connect them with lifelong careers in Minnesota’s construction trades.”
About the Construction Careers Foundation
The Construction Careers Foundation is a Twin Cities-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering and developing construction career pathways for Minnesotans, especially young adults. With funding from the Minnesota State Legislature and oversight from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the Construction Careers Foundation conducts a statewide effort to attract more people, in particular, young people, women and people of color, into the construction trades to support the Minnesota construction industry. To learn more about the Construction Careers Foundation, visit ConstructionCareers.org.