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MINNESOTA TRADES ACADEMY TO PROVIDE MORE THAN 40 PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIPS TO TWIN CITIES 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.

The Minnesota Trades Academy provides training and mentorship to Twin Cities-area students, ages 16 to 21 years old, and is supported by more than 20 local building and construction trade unions.

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, which include:

  • 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.

“This year we have great trainers for the students. Our trainers serve as mentors to students and each have personal connection and experience with working in the construction industry, so students can really ask them anything,” said Lindsay Tallman, Program Director for the Construction Careers Foundation.

Building Community through the Minnesota Trades Academy 

“Our student interns receive mentorship, tour union apprenticeship training sites and work on real projects that impact their local communities such as refurbishing a deck for an elderly resident or building a ticket booth for their school’s sports stadium,” Tallman said.

The Minnesota Trades Academy provides students with 20-30 hours a week of paid learning.

“For some interns, MTA replaces their summer job search because they earn $15/hour learning trades skills with us,” Tallman added.

Year-Round Support for Students Interested in the Trades

Sam Ebute serves as the Trades Navigator for the Construction Careers Foundation and students connect with him year-round with apprenticeship and career questions. During the summer, Ebute is a trainer for students in the Minnesota Trades Academy. He connects participants with career opportunities made available by Construction Careers Foundation stakeholders, such as construction trade unions, as well as union training centers and signatory contractors.

Learn more about Sam Ebute’s role as Statewide Trades Navigator.

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.