Adults in north Baldwin County who want to learn a building trade can do it this fall without paying tuition. The Alabama Home Builders Foundation has teamed up with Baldwin County Public Schools to run a free basic residential carpentry course for anyone 18 and older.
Classes meet on Monday and Wednesday evenings from Sept. 25 through Nov. 20 at the North Baldwin Center for Technology, located at 505 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Bay Minette. Scott Larson is teaching the sessions.
What the course covers
The curriculum walks students through the fundamentals a working carpenter uses on a residential job site. According to the foundation, that includes jobsite safety instruction, construction layout, reading blueprints, wall and floor framing, window and door installation, and siding and exterior trim work.
Students who finish the program receive a certificate of completion issued by the Home Builders Association of Alabama, a credential the group says helps graduates when they approach builders looking for entry-level help.
A pipeline into the building trades
Foundation President Peggy Turner said the classes serve both job seekers and an industry that has struggled to fill skilled positions.
“The value of the carpentry classes that the Alabama Home Builders Foundation offers is vital to our industry and to those seeking jobs in the home building field,” Turner said. “These classes provide an extremely useful skill at no charge.”
Turner said she has watched students of widely different ages and experience levels move from the classroom into steady work. “When I have observed these classes and see students that pick up a tape measure for the first time and in eight weeks they have helped frame a small house, I am impressed,” she said. “If you have any interest in the home building field this class is a great pathway to your first job.”
How to apply
Applications and program details are available through the Alabama Home Builders Foundation. Prospective students can also reach program coordinator Kory Boling by phone at 1-800-745-4222 to ask about enrollment and remaining seats.
The eight-week format is built around evening hours so participants can keep daytime jobs while they train, and no prior construction experience is required to enroll.