Millwright & Carpenter Training Program

The Millwright & Carpentry Training Program is a hands-on career program that prepares you for entry into union construction careers through Registered Apprenticeship. The program is free to people who qualify and helps help meet the growing demand for skilled trades workers in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Hermantown/Duluth areas. You will receive training at a professional union training center and learn the skills employers need now.

Minnesota Training Partnership will also provide helpful support, career coaching, and help connect you directly to union contractors who are hiring. This program is designed to help you start a stable, family-sustaining career with opportunities for advancement in the skilled trades.

What is a Millwright?
Millwrights install, maintain, repair, and move industrial machinery used in factories, power plants, and production facilities. They work with precision equipment such as conveyors, turbines, motors, and heavy mechanical systems that keep industries running. Millwrights use specialized tools, read technical diagrams, and ensure machinery operates safely and efficiently. This career is ideal for people who enjoy mechanical work, problem solving, and working with their hands.

What is a Carpenter?
Carpenters build and install the structural and finished components of buildings, including walls, floors, roofs, and frameworks. They work on a wide range of construction projects such as commercial buildings, infrastructure, and industrial facilities. Carpenters use tools, read blueprints, measure materials, and assemble structures with accuracy and skill. This career is well suited for people who enjoy construction, teamwork, and seeing the results of their work take shape.

What is a Registered Apprenticeship Program?
A Registered Apprenticeship Program is a structured training program that combines paid, on-the-job learning with classroom instruction. Apprentices work for an employer while learning their trade and earning regular wage increases as they gain skills and experience. These programs are sponsored by unions and employers and lead to nationally recognized credentials. Registered Apprenticeship is a proven pathway to stable, high-paying careers in the skilled trades.

Staff at Minnesota Training Partnership lead this dynamic program. Additional program partners include:

• Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters (NMRCC) and its affiliated local unions
• Employers from across the Twin Cities

These partners are eager to share their expertise, and are dedicated to your success, now and in the future.

After completing the training portion of the program, you will be qualified to apply for jobs with contractors and entry into Registered Apprenticeship. Depending on the training you complete, you will pursue employment as either a millwright or a carpenter with union contractors who are actively hiring.

These careers offer strong starting wages, excellent benefits, and continued, structured on-the-job training through Registered Apprenticeship programs. Apprentices earn while they learn and receive regular wage increases as they gain skills and experience. Over time, you can advance to higher-level roles with increased responsibility, pay, and long-term career stability in the skilled trades.

As a pre-apprenticeship training opportunity, this program will prepare you with the foundational skills needed to begin a career as either a union millwright or carpenter. You will learn how to safely use tools and equipment, understand construction materials and terminology, and follow industry safety standards. Training will include hands-on instruction at Carpenters Training Institute, allowing you to build real skills in a professional learning environment.

You will also learn what employers expect on the job, including teamwork, communication, reliability, and professional behavior. In addition, Minnesota Training Partnership will help you prepare for competitive entry into Registered Apprenticeship by providing career coaching, resume assistance, and direct connections to union…