Millwright & Carpenter Training Program
Program Overview: 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.
Understanding the Careers & Apprenticeship Pathway
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.
Program Partners
Staff at Minnesota Training Partnership lead this dynamic program. Additional program partners include:
- Carpenters Training Institute (CTI)
- 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.
Jobs & Career Outcomes
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.
What You Will Learn
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 contractors who are hiring.
Support for Busy Adult Learners
This program is free to eligible participants. You will receive personalized career coaching, resume assistance, and interview preparation from experienced staff. Minnesota Training Partnership will connect you with employers and support your job search after the program ends. Our staff are committed to helping you overcome barriers and succeed in your career. We continue to provide support even after you are hired and enter Registered
Apprenticeship to ensure yiour success on the job.
Program Schedule & Location
This program will be available from Spring 2026 through Summer 2027. One training cohort will take place in the Twin Cities, one in Rochester, MN, and one in Hermantown, MN. Based on employer demand, training will be provided in either Millwrighting or Carpentry.
Training will take place at Carpenters Training Institute training centers. Each cohort will run for several weeks and will include hands-on pre-apprenticeship skills training, classroom instruction, and career readiness workshops. Classes will be held during daytime hours to allow participants to fully focus on learning and preparing for entry into Registered Apprenticeship and employment. Minnesota Training Partnership staff will provide ongoing support throughout the program. Specific dates, times, and locations will be posted as this information becomes available.
Program Eligibility
The Millwright & Carpenter Training Program serves Minnesota residents who are adults at least 18 years old, and not enrolled in any K-12 school, and who may face barriers to employment, and who need enhanced educational and supportive services to be successful in securing long-term family sustaining wages.
Participants enrolling in this program must demonstrate readiness for
success in advanced credentialed or post-secondary level training and their fitness for strenuous physical labor, often outdoors..
In addition, all participants must be authorized to work in the United States and shall be part of one or more of the following target populations:
- Individuals of color
- IIndividuals lacking stable housing
- Individuals who are, or have been, justice-involved
- Individuals without a high school diploma or equivalent
- Individuals with disabilities
- Individuals who have been unemployed for 26 or more of the past 52 weeks
- Individuals with limited English proficiency
- Individuals at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guideline
How to Apply
Interested individuals must first complete and return the following online inquiry form, available HERE
After we receive this form, we will contact you to discuss your interest, validate your eligibility, and conduct assessments to ensure this program is a good fit for you at this time. Then, we will discuss the enrollment process and schedule you for the orientation session.
Why Choose Minnesota Training Partnership?
Minnesota Training Partnership has a strong track record of helping people enter union construction careers through hands-on training opportunities, individualized coaching, and direct connections to employers and apprenticeship programs. Our Millwright & Carpentry Training Program is delivered in partnership with the Carpenters Training Institute and its affiliated local unions, ensuring that participants learn the exact skills unions and contractors are seeking. We focus on preparing people for stable, family-sustaining union careers with clear pathways for advancement. Our staff provide personalized guidance, connections to Registered Apprenticeships and jobs, and ongoing encouragement to help each participant succeed. When you train with Minnesota Training Partnership, you are joining a community committed to helping you build a future in the skilled trades with dignity, opportunity, and union support.
For More Information:
Individuals interested in applying for the Millwright & Carpentry Training Program should follow the directions in the above section titled "How to Apply."
Union, employer, and other community partners are invited to contact us here: INTEREST FORM