When 20 military veterans graduated from the UBC MVP - Military Veteran Program this month at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the group set two records. First, this is the largest class the program has hosted since launching in 2022. Second, it placed 2024’s participant total at 68, easily surpassing the 2023 total of 47 and becoming the highest number of graduates in one year since the program’s start. In fact, the class of 20 was nearly half of the number of participants in all of 2023.
The MVP training helps military veterans transition out of the U.S. Army and into careers as carpenters or millwrights. The Mid-South Carpenters Training program helps present the course in Clarksville, TN, for soldiers from nearby Fort Campbell. Program participants participate in a free, eight-week training program that gives military vets basic skill sets with hands-on projects for real-world experience as carpenters or millwrights. Once civilians, these veterans can join the United Brotherhood of Carpenters as a second-year apprentice.
This is the 15th class to complete training since the program began in 2022. Congratulations to these men and women (listed with their chosen career path), shown here with program staff and supporters:
Front row left to right: Malcolm Washington (Millwright), Stephon Gutierrez (Carpenter), Aaron Schroeder (Millwright), Rick Keller (The State Group), Kris Bledsoe (Millwright), MVP Instructor Esther Freeman, Carl Gassoway (Millwright), Steve Williams (UBC Southern District Nuclear Representative), Dean Murray (Millwright). Second row left to right: Marcus Bass (MVP Recruiter), Casey Richardson (Central Midwest Millwright Business Agent), Ronnie Carpenter (Central Midwest Business Agent), Danny Williams (Southeastern Millwright Business Agent), Alan Compton (Millwright), Vincent Gibson (Millwright), Tahjay Andrade (Millwright), Peter Stawinski (Carpenter), Orlando Cantu (Millwright), Nathan Espinoza (Millwright). Third row left to right: Jacob Vega-Lopez (Carpenter), Caleb Pautz (Carpenter), Nicholas Morales (Millwright), Emiliano Pena (Carpenter), Mitchell Hoye (Millwright), Shakai Jeanty (Millwright), Robert Walker (Millwright).
Of the 68 participants graduating in 2024, 46 chose to become a millwright, while 22 chose carpentry. Over half of the veterans decided to stay in the area and join the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. This is the second year in a row that the program hovered around a 50% local retention rate. Of the 47 MVP graduates entering the workforce in 2023, 22 joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters - about half choosing to become a union carpenter or millwright.