The newly opened, state-of-the-art Middle Tennessee Carpenter and Millwright Training Center in La Vergne, Tennessee is operating on all cylinders to accommodate the skilled workforce needs of the Middle Tennessee construction industry. The technologically advanced facility is housed in a 25,000-square-foot structure built on four acres of land along Veterans Memorial Parkway, near U.S. Hwy. 41, Murfreesboro Highway.
The purpose of the $5 million facility is to address the area’s labor shortage, as rapid growth continues in the Middle Tennessee region. 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 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 TTF.
"This facility is well-positioned to provide more jobs to LaVergne residents and build long-term residency into the community," added Tom Jenkins, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the SECRC. ""They will also secure an excellent quality of life for themselves and their families."
Training is presented as part of the $250 million curriculum of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters International Training Fund, of which the TTF is affiliated. As a result, program participants will receive the best technological, skills-based training for all aspects of the carpentry and millwright trades. All equipment and instruction will be closely regulated and monitored by the US Department of Labor and will abide by all OSHA standards. In addition, customized training will be developed, on-demand, to cater to what’s needed on job sites around the region.
Training capabilities include:
- Because of COVID-19 and in response to the critical need to protect patients and staff at healthcare facilities during construction work, there is a mockup to hone skills in Construction ICRA (Infection Control Risk Assessment).
- Scaffold training prepares carpenters for work in nuclear power plants.
- Two mechatronics/robot stations are used to train for automotive plant projects.
- Carpenter Skills taught include all interior systems, including Metal Stud Framing, Drywall, Finishing, and Doors and Hardware, Flooring, Heavy Form / Concrete, Scaffolding, and Clean Room construction.
- A conveyor instructional area trains on floor conveyor and power and free monorail systems, which are used in many manufacturing processes such as automotive and food and beverage.
- Millwright coursework includes Compressors and Pumps, Conveyors , Flowserve. Gas and Steam Turbine, Machinery Alignment, and Mechanical Print Reading.
- Eight clean-air welding booths with new welders.
- Safety training includes OSHA 10 and 30, Confined Space, Fall Protection, Hazard Communication, AED/First Aid.
- Soft-skill training is also offered on topics such as Leadership, Jobsite Communication and Human Performance
The LaVergne training program is funded with private money from contractors who employ those who train at the Center, meaning all of this is at no cost to the taxpayer.The new training center replaces a 7,000-square-foot facility with 5,000 square feet of training space. By contrast, the new building consists of 20,000 square feet of training space and 5,000 square feet of office and administrative areas.
