Donald Sheriff of Joy, Illinois, works on a mock-up exercise during a carpentry lesson at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training Program Quad Cities Campus in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Roger Richardson was recently thinking about the future of carpentry in the Quad Cities. The training coordinator was looking over a room filled with 21 young men about to take their first step to possibly become apprentice carpenters. They all gathered at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training Quad Cities Campus in […]
Already a subscriber? Log in
Want to Read More?
Get immediate, unlimited access to all subscriber content and much more. Learn more in our subscriber FAQ.
Roger Richardson was recently thinking about the future of carpentry in the Quad Cities.The training coordinator was looking over a room filled with 21 young men about to take their first step to possibly become apprentice carpenters. They all gathered at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training Quad Cities Campus in East Moline to begin learning about the trade, the four-year carpenter apprentice program, and to take their first tests in the quest to become journeyman carpenters.“I’m glad you are all here today. … I have to get all the test packets back. If I don’t get all of them back, you all have to come back and do this again,” Mr. Richardson said at the start of the test and a welcoming event held in early March at the relatively new East Moline facility.For many of the young men attending, the event will be the first step in them eventually having careers that make more than $75,000 a year. It is also the first day in creating the needed union workforce who will build the Quad Cities landscape in a great variety of big and small projects over the coming generations.
1 of 6
Damon Wiemken of Tampico, Illinois, takes a test on equipment during a millwright lesson at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training Program Quad Cities Campus in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
This is the 55,000-square-foot Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training building in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
This building is the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, Quad Cities Campus’ business office, which is responsible for servicing: Carpenters Local 4, Davenport; Carpenters Local 790, Rock Falls, Illinois; Carpenters Local 792, Rockford, Illinois; and Millwright Local 2158, East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Roger Richardson is the training coordinator for the Apprentice & Training Program at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Quad Cities Campus in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Donald Sheriff of Joy, Illinois, works on a mock-up exercise during a carpentry lesson at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training Program offered at its Quad Cities Campus in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
A group of potential apprentice carpenters take a test on Wednesday, March 5, at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MCRC) Apprentice & Training Program Quad Cities Campus in East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Skilled workers are in high demand throughout the country because the U.S. continues to face critical shortages in the trades. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) organization recently reported that about 439,000 new workers in the construction trades are needed this year. Next year, the industry will need to attract almost 500,000 new workers. Many of those needed workers will be carpenters. In addition, The Associated General Contractors of America group recently reported that 85% of contractors across the U.S. couldn't find enough carpenters for their jobs.By some estimates, this shortage of workers could mean that 85 million jobs go unfilled around the world by the end of the decade, leaving $8.5 trillion in unrealized annual revenue on the table, according to the global consulting firm Korn Ferry.The apprentice and training program in East Moline has been doing its part to attract and train new carpenters and millwrights since the center was built and opened about a year and a half ago. Currently, about 300 workers are taking classroom and hands-on training at the center. Some of those in training are going through a four-year apprenticeship program; and others have achieved journeyman status and are taking continuing education courses.”We want team players. To be in the trades, you have to work as a piece of a unit. … We want the guys who build things and tear them apart,” said Mr. Richardson as he told the top qualities he looks for in the new generation of trades workers.
Changing with the times
Mr. Richardson, a veteran of many years in the carpentry trade, has seen the trade, training and workforce change over the years.One of the biggest changes centers on the workers themselves. The training coordinator said that when he started in the trades several decades ago, it was fairly common to only attract young people to the trades that weren’t always gifted with traditional classroom work. “We used to get the C, D and F students. Now, we’re getting A and B students. … But we also want students who play team sports,” Mr. Richardson added.In addition to recruiting more workers who do well in the classroom and with team sports, today’s carpenters and millwrights are much more diverse. There are many more women and people of color joining the trades. And today’s workers want more than just a good job; they want to have time to devote to family.“You need patience to understand the new generation. … They also want a work-life balance,” Mr. Richardson said.In addition to changes in the workforce, there have been changes in training to meet the increased and new demands of building projects. For instance, the training has expanded over the years to include lessons on robotics and solar energy equipment.“The solar installation class started in 2021 and through today's date we have trained approximately 142 apprentices in that skill,” he said. “The solar training involves an overview of different systems, ballasted roof-top mounting systems, rigid rail style roof top systems, and ground mounted solar systems. Carpenters are usually responsible for installing the racking systems as described and then installing the panels themselves.”
The carpenters and millwrights
During a recent campus tour, the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal got the opportunity to visit with several workers taking the training. Among those was Donald Sheriff of Joy, Illinois, who is an apprentice carpenter working at Allied Construction Services, and in his fourth year of apprentice training at the center.“This is just a great program. I’m learning a lot. … This has taught me how to work well under pressure,” said Mr. Sheriff.During the visit, the apprentice carpenter was working on a building exercise to showcase many of the skills he has learned. For instance, the mock-up featured an octagon window and other elements to test his skills.Another worker was Elias Spiridonos of Davenport, who is a journeyman millwright working on continuing education in the trade. (Millrights are involved in the assembly, installation and maintenance of all types of industrial equipment and machinery.)Mr. Spiridonos, who said he has worked at many types of jobs over his life, added that his current millwright job has been his favorite work experience. “I love this. This is one of the best things that has ever happened in my life, and I’ve done a lot,” he added.
Attractive pay levels
One of the reasons people are attracted to the work is the pay. Mr. Richardson said the pay rate for a carpenter goes from $28.48 an hour in the fourth year of apprenticeship to $33.50 an hour as a journeyman carpenter. Millwrights go from $33.80 an hour in their fourth year to $37.50 an hour as a journeyman.Those pay rates were on the minds of many of the 21 young men attending that Application Night in early March. It takes place every quarter at the MCRC training campus. (The millwright side of the training program has similar orientation events almost monthly.)As the men gathered in Room 107 of the training building, ironically, a large framed photo of a bridge hanging on the wall outside that room had the phrase: “Celebrating the future of the Quad Cities.”Mr. Richardson said the potential apprentice carpenters will go through several steps before they become qualified candidates and get into the apprenticeship program. Those steps include:
Initial testing: The candidates take a test, mostly consisting of high school-level math questions. It takes about two hours, and about 70% of the candidates will pass.
Interviews: A week after the test, the young men will return to the East Moline facility to go through what Mr. Richardson calls a “get-to-know-you” interview. “We want to get to know these guys and what they are interested in. … We want to force them to make eye contact with somebody,” he added.
If the interviews go well, the candidates – all young men in this particular round – will sign up with a local carpenters union, get a job when a contractor contacts the union, start earning a paycheck and eventually start classroom and hands-on apprenticeship training in East Moline. Mr. Richardson said he hopes the March applicants will work through the spring and summer, and start the first year of their apprenticeship in August.
On average, he said, only about 50% of that group will make it through the four years of training and become a journeyman. “Some of them will find out they don’t like the work or that the employers don’t like them.” But many will find the work rewarding and become journeymen carpenters. They will go on to help build homes, apartments, retail shops, business buildings and much more.That fact alone makes the training coordinator job worth it for Mr. Richardson.“It’s worth it when you see the light bulbs come on in their heads and they realize this is good work,” he added.
Location: Located in East Moline, the MCRC training and administrative centers are next door to each other at 408 and 424 Carpenter Court, respectively. Built in 2023, the new MCRC facilities cost about $10 million.
QC campus: The MCRC includes a 55,000-square-foot training center and a council building that boasts about 20,000 square feet. The administrative facility includes the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Quad Cities’ business office, conference rooms, a cafeteria, and a 250-seat meeting room used for union and public events. The regional council serves about 3,700 union carpenters and millwrights in these unions: Carpenters Local 4, Davenport; Carpenters Local 790, Rock Falls, Illinois; Carpenters Local 792, Rockford, Illinois; and Millwright Local 2158 East Moline.
MCRC locations: The East Moline campus is one of MCRC’s six business offices. The main office is located in Chicago with other campuses in Lisle and Springfield, Illinois, and St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.
Enrollment: About 300 students now are taking classes through the MCRC Apprentice & Training program.
Requirements: Apprentices must complete nearly 6,000 hours of work experience to graduate. A four-year training program may include about 640 hours of classroom work and 5,200 hours of on-the-job training.
