Nicolet College to launch
Carpentry Program in August
Nicolet College will launch a new Carpentry Program in early August that will teach students a broad range of construction skills, including sustainable building practices which are becoming increasingly in demand.
The one-year, 30-credit diploma program
will start Aug. 4 with a safety class that meets half days for two weeks. That
will be followed by two semesters of instruction that will give students a
solid foundation for a carpentry or related career.
As for job demand, the current housing
slump hasn’t hit Wisconsin,
and especially the Northwoods, as hard as other parts of the country, said
carpentry instructor Jeff Labs.
“The demand for skilled carpenters is still
strong,” Labs said. “And I only see that
increasing in the future as the housing market improves and the need increases
to build and maintain homes in the Northwoods.”
Students in the program will learn:
- how to efficiently and safely use all the tools of the trade;
- the required skills and techniques required to perform general carpentry;
- how to select appropriate building materials;
- standard and sustainable building practices and material application;
- how to interpret technical information from blueprints;
- and cost estimating of materials and labor necessary to complete a building
project.
Graduates pursuing skilled, entry-level
carpentry positions can expect to earn $12-14 an hour. With experience, that
can climb to more than $21 an hour.
Labs has been in the construction business
for more than 20 years, focused primarily on residential building with his own
construction company. During the past decade he also taught architecture and
construction at Northeast Wisconsin Technical
College in Green Bay.
“Over the years I’ve seen this steady
increase in demand for more environmentally sustainable building materials and
processes,” Labs explained. “We’ll incorporate sustainable practices whenever
possible, which will make our graduates even that much more in demand when they
finish the program.”
Over the course of the year students will
take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to building a house on
Nicolet’s Rhinelander campus. The college will then sell the house, which will
have to be moved.
Tuition to complete the program will be
$2,911.50 plus a materials fee. Students will also need their own tools. Since
carpentry is a new program for Nicolet, the college has had to apply to the
federal government to offer financial aid to carpentry students. That approval,
and subsequent financial aid to students, is expected to be granted before
classes start in August.
Everyone interested in enrolling in the
program is strongly encouraged to call Labs at (715) 365-4675. When students
are ready to enroll, they can contact the Nicolet College Admissions Office at
(715) 365-4451 or 1-800-544-3039, ext. 4451.