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OUR MISSION
Unionized skilled tradespeople build Michigan: our roads and bridges, solar fields and power plants, factories and office buildings. The men and women who pursue careers in construction are crucial to our economic future. It’s rewarding work that offers competitive salaries and meaningful benefits. Union skilled trades members also take pride in what they build, and are empowered to live fulfilled lives.
School to Tools aims to provide students, parents, teachers and school counselors with the awareness of training and career opportunities available in the construction trades apprenticeship programs.
STUDENTS
Are you a middle school or high school student looking to understand what you might want to pursue after high school? Do you like art, engineering, or working with your hands? Schools to Tools is here to help you explore the idea of a creative and satisfying career in the skilled trades. Learn more about the men and women who build the world we live in and leave their mark on history.
TEACHERS + COUNSELORS
As educators, you are in the perfect position to inform students about the wide range of options available to them after graduating high school. College is a great choice for many students, but so many others choose college without understanding that a career in the skilled trades is another great possibility of equal value.
Schools to Tools is here to make sure you have all the information your students need to make informed decisions after leaving high school.
PARENTS
We know you want what’s best for your kid. That’s why we’re here to help families learn more about post-graduation opportunities that can lead to lucrative careers and fulfilling opportunities in unionized skilled trades.
Learn how Schools to Tools and parents can work together.
TESTIMONIALS
CHANCE
“There are just so many options you can do with the skills you learn in this apprenticeship.”
THIRD YEAR CARPENTER APPRENTICE
RAQUELL
“Becoming a carpenter was the best decision of my life. My favorite part of the apprenticeship is the instructors because they are so willing to teach and they came from doing the same work we do.”
FOURTH YEAR CARPENTER APPRENTICE
QUENTIN
“This building is so much bigger. It has everything we need to learn what we need to know to have a successful career.”
FOURTH YEAR CARPENTER APPRENTICE
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE
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CHOOSE YOUR TRADE
Click an icon below to learn more about each trade!
CARPENTERS
Carpenters are involved in all phases of construction, from foundation to finish. Carpenters form concrete, frame wood and metal stud structures, hang drywall, install trim, doors and cabinets, and so much more to build buildings, bridges, and specialty displays.
MILLWRIGHTS
Millwrights operate with incredible precision to install and maintain nearly anything that rotates or moves. Millwrights work in power plants aligning pumps, motors and turbines, in auto plants installing, modifying and maintaining conveyor systems and machinery, and erecting the distribution systems at the heart of advanced logistics centers.
FLOOR LAYERS
Union Floor Layers install carpet, tile, vinyl, laminate, and turf floor coverings. They also stain, etch, and polish concrete to create resilient floors that can last a lifetime. From simple installations to complicated inlays that create beautiful patterns, floor layers are responsible for surfaces that contribute to the aesthetic qualities of a building while also standing up to wear and tear.
