Middle Tennessee Training Center Successfully Presents Its First Open House

Many of Middle Tennessee’s economic, education, civic, construction, and government leaders participated in the newly opened Middle Tennessee Carpenter & Millwright Training Center’s Open House. There they learned about workforce development opportunities for area residents and labor shortage solutions for contractors.

The $5 million facility aims to bolster Middle Tennessee’s continuing growth by training a new generation of skilled tradespersons. The technologically advanced, 25,000-square-foot structure with ample outdoor training space is located at 130 Veterans Memorial Parkway near U.S. Highway 41.

The facility is owned and operated by the Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council Training Trust Fund (TTF). Training there is conducted for professional carpenters and millwrights from the Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council (SECRC), which operates Carpenters Local 223 and Millwright Local 1554 out of the facility as well.

“This facility is well-positioned to address the labor shortage by providing careers to Middle Tennessee residents and building long-term residency in the surrounding communities,” said Tom Jenkins, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the SECRC. “Thanks to this new facility, those wishing to secure an excellent quality of life for themselves and their families through a career as a professional craftsperson now have the chance to make that happen.”

“This facility will prepare the local workforce of construction industry professionals with the skills to answer the call for professional carpenters and millwrights on projects throughout Middle Tennessee,” said Rickey Moore, Director of the Training Trust Fund.

Many thanks to the members of Carpenters Local 223 and Millwrights Local 1554 who teamed with the instructional staff of the training center to ensure the Open House attendees saw plenty of hands-on demonstrations and answer any questions guests had. They are: amison Terry (3rd year carpenter apprentice), Landon Hopson (2nd year carpenter apprentice), Brandon Smith (4th year millwright apprentice), Millwright Instructor Robert Mitchell, Jesse Almonrode (2nd year carpenter apprentice), Samuel Salcido (2nd year carpenter apprentice), Dante Thomas (3rd year millwright apprentice), Matthew White (4th year millwright apprentices), Carpenter Instructor Michael Coffman, Lukas Simms (2nd year carpenter apprentice), Cody Newby (4th year carpenter apprentice), Lance Vaughn (2nd year carpenter apprenitce), Joseph Christmas (4th year carpenter apprentice), Thomas Williams (2nd year carpenter apprenitce), Zac Story (2nd year carpenter apprentice), Carpenter Instructor Silvestre Rodriguez, Joseph Perez (2nd year carpenter apprentice), and Journeyman Carpenter David Crutcher, Millwright Instructor Chad Snow, and Interior Systems Instructors Carlos Salmeron-Garcia and Kameron Butler.