Downriver Today

The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC) recently held a grand-opening ceremony for their new training facility in northwest Detroit.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) was on hand with area and labor officials for the ribbon-cutting event, a press release from the governor’s office said.

“As a proud, pro-union governor to my core, I am thrilled to celebrate the opening of the MRCC’s state-of-the-art center in Detroit that will train up to 1,500 Michiganders and help them land good-paying, high-skill union jobs,” Whitmer said in the release. “Michiganders rely on carpenters, millwrights, floor layers, piledrivers, and all our skilled trades to build the infrastructure that powers Michigan’s economy. Their hard work is the reason that since I took office through the end of this year, we will fix over 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, build or refurbish nearly 12,000 affordable housing units, and replace tens of thousands of lead service lines. With their partnership, I have acted to center working people in all the work that we do. Together, we reinstated prevailing wage, cracked down on payroll fraud, expanded opportunities for people to land good-paying union jobs, and continued delivering on the kitchen-table issues that matter most to working families. When working families succeed, we all succeed. Let’s keep getting things done together that make a difference in their lives.”

The governor’s office reported that the 145,000 square-foot training center will be equipped with cutting-edge classrooms, training rooms and advanced technology to further its standing within the industry. 

“The opening of this state-of-the-art training center right here in Detroit shows the commitment of carpenters and millwrights to preparing the best construction professionals and creating good-paying Michigan jobs,” Tom Lutz, MRCC executive secretary-treasurer, said in the release. “This new training center – built without any taxpayer dollars – represents a gateway to a promising future for countless men and women willing to learn and work hard in a rewarding, good-paying career. By locating our training center in a Detroit neighborhood, carpenters and millwrights are committed to supporting our communities, opening doors of opportunities for everyone, and doing our part to move Michigan forward.”

Approximately 1,500 students will be trained at the center annually and have critical roles in the governor’s Sixty by 30 initiative, which proposes that 60% of working-age citizens obtain a skills certificate or degree by 2030. 

U.S. Department Office of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh noted that the country needs well-skilled professionals in the construction industry and that the training center would help meet that demand. 

“Thanks to this brand-new cutting-edge training center, the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights is investing in Michigan workers, Michigan jobs, and Michigan’s future,” Walsh said in the release. “The leadership of the carpenters and millwrights will help the United States and the State of Michigan continue to build the critical infrastructure we need to be competitive in a global economy. This new training center showcases the fact that good-paying jobs and rewarding careers are available right out of high school to those who are willing to learn, train and work hard.”