Careers

Nationwide, we offer members the finest training in the industry, with 1,500 full-time instructors, 250 training centers across North America, and a new $22-million International Training Center that trains instructors and develops new courses to keep our members at the top of their fields.

Through the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, approximately 8,000 of our members take advantage of 300 evening and weekend classes offered in our Carpenter Skill Advancement Program every year. These programs are taught in several languages and are offered at our five training centers.

Our members' proven skills—and the $100 million we spend nationally each year on training—are two big reasons that contractors hire union craftsmen with confidence. Training keeps our members in demand.

The Carpenters' Union is a blanket term for the numerous skills performed by tradespeople in our union. Throughout its history, the union has developed many specialty trades. The Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters offers apprenticeships in each and offers every member continuing and developmental training in all of these specialties. Many have become proficient in numerous trades.

Members of the Carpenters Union include:

Click on any of the above for a work description.

Links:


Carpenters Skill Advancement Program

In the last 15 years the Carpenter Skill Advancement Program (CSAP) has grown to 300 classroom and hands-on classes offered every six months in a wide range of general knowledge, general skill, special skill, certification and safety classes. 40,000 schedules are printed twice a year and sent to all members and signatory contractors. Last year 7,100 apprentices or journeymen applied for this training to advance their careers.

Classes are from 3 to 40 hours long, being taught in English, Spanish, and Polish. Most CSAP classes are offered at the Elk Grove Village center, with more being offered at the Chicago, Joilet, and Elgin centers every year. Cost is from free for any safety class to $99 for the Supervisory Training (STP) classes, with most classes from $20 to $45. Some local unions reimburse students for a completed class. Click here to view the current class schedule book.

 

INSTALL Floorcovering Program
 

Search for work
You can look up contractors online to search for work in Illinois and Wisconsin. Go to www.thebluebook.com select your state and then type in “carpenter” to get a list of union and non-union contractors. After selecting your category, click on the “P” in the orange box on the right hand side to get a Profile of the contractor that includes: union affiliation (union or non-union), phone, fax, email, address, person to contact, recent projects completed, geographical areas serviced and types of projects they work on.

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Becoming an apprentice is a great way

to learn while making a living

An apprentice is someone who is learning a trade while working under the guidance of skilled workers called journeymen. Apprenticeship is on-the-job training.

  • Earn while you learn
  • Start at about 50% of a skilled journeyman's rate of pay
  • Wages are increased at periodic intervals until they are 80% to 90% of a journeyman's wages
     

As a member of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters you will be working under the protection of a union contract. The benefits to you will be working for a good contractor, which means:

  • Good Wages
  • Health Insurance
  • Pension
  • Continuing Skill Training

Apprenticeship Program Information
The  Regional Council of Carpenters Apprentice and Training Program provides many separate four-year apprenticeships. Click here to see the programs.