CARPENTRY

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Of all the trade professions, the builder’s trade is the largest and by far the oldest. Few other vocations are as steeped in tradition or as rich in history as that of the carpenter. From the carpenters’ guilds of bygone eras to today’s modern construction firms, the building trades have long exemplified the artist and the crafter, those who take pride in the combination of knowledge and labor to produce, by hand, a product both useful and aesthetic.

M-TEC at Kirtland-Gaylord recognizes and upholds that strong tradition of apprenticeship to a master craftsman. The carpentry instructors at M-TEC are all licensed builders or journeyman carpenters, field  trained within the industry. They stand ready to direct you in a training program that is both focused and self-paced, individualized training that will lead to an exciting and satisfying career in carpentry.

Throughout its long history, the building trade is an industry that has many times faced new challenges and has every time met that call to change. Today more than ever, carpenters adapt to new and improved construction methods and practices, embracing change to improve the craft. In fact most new techniques come from within the industry itself, as carpenters look to improve their skills, broaden their professional expertise and increase their productivity.

Today’s carpenters are fast laying to rest the old wives’ tale—“they just don’t build them like they used to.” Industry-driven changes in practice, along with modern building code, prove today’s homes and businesses are built better than ever. Just as they have always done, carpenters embraced these new ideas and incorporated them to meet customer and industry demands to attain the highest levels of professional know-how possible.

And one need not look far in the past to see prime examples of this newest change. Technology has introduced new materials unheard of by carpenters a generation ago. These new building products are truly space-aged; material which is at the same time stronger yet lighter.

What advancement could catch the eye of a carpenter faster than new designs in tools? Recent technology has brought the carpenter the very latest, from laser measuring devices, levels and transits, to the cordless drills, saws and nail guns that provide.

AT M-TEC, THAT IS WHERE YOUR TRAINING BEGINS

You will learn the proper care and use of hand and power tools, as well as on-the-job-safety practices. Not just common sense ideas, but real life safety rules and “workers-right-to-know laws,” rules set by government agencies and regulated by law. Training includes workplace safety—from the proper upkeep of the job site, to working at heights, from ladders, scaffolding and personal rigging devices. These seemingly simple skills can be what it takes to set you apart from others, as you approach an employer and launch your career.

Enter M-TEC’s modern classroom, where the knowledgeable instructors will personally guide you through a combination of textbook and computer. Learn to read blueprints and architectural drawings as well as gain mastery over the mathematical skills necessary to keep today’s carpenter on the leading edge. This core training in carpentry, as in all of M-TEC’s vocational programs, sets the foundation upon which to build.

Once you have mastered the core curriculum, your training will take you into M-TEC’s thoroughly modern lab, where you will learn the newest practices in residential and light commercial construction. Starting from site layout and continuing through project management, M-TEC instructors will teach you what you need to be competitive in the profitable building industry.

From the setting of concrete forms for footings and foundations, through the layout of trusses and rafters for the roof, your training goes from the ground up and covers everything in between.

Using the latest in fasteners and adhesives, you will learn floor systems—laminated beams, structural joists and decking, as well as vinyl, hardwood and ceramic. While learning wall construction, you’ll use both steel and traditional studs to gain valuable and practical experience in lay-out, insulation, thermal and moisture protection, drywall hanging and finishing as well as siding installation. In roofing you will be taught to lay out hips and gables and how to tie and cut in dormers, plus all you need to install traditional roofing systems, asphalt shingles and cedar shakes, as well as the increasingly popular steel roofs.

M-TEC instructors will teach you skills often thought of as specialties such as cabinet installation and laminated countertop construction, skills which can command a higher wage. And you will become proficient at installing windows and doors, laying out stairs and hanging suspended ceilings, more specialized skills sought by today’s construction companies.

Best of all, whether you attain an associate’s degree or a certificate, your M-TEC carpentry training will prepare you for immediate employment in the dynamic and satisfying field of carpentry.

Check into M-TEC. We’ll make your future begin today.

WONDER WHAT PERSONAL TRAITS IT TAKES TO BE A CARPENTER?

The carpentry trade is growing and wide open if you can demonstrate or learn the following skills:

• Enjoy hands-on work, have an eye for detail.
• Can conceptualize an idea or drawing and have a sense of space and distance.
• Like to work in the outdoors, beyond the constraints of an office or shop.
• You are good at, or can learn measurements—feet, inches and fractions.
• Are reasonably fit and healthy.
• Like to see a project from start through completion.
• Take pride in your work and appreciate seeing what your labor can accomplish.

The construction industry is always open to well-trained and highly skilled workers. It is considered a non-traditional occupation for women, but one in which women are successful. The industry is expected to grow at an average rate over the remainder of the decade and can command above-average wages, depending on the type of employment.

For more information about our programs, contact the M-TEC at Kirtland-Gaylord at 989-705-3600 or email us at mtec@kirtland.edu.