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Carpentry

Engineering, Construction and Trades Academy

  • Trades & Transportation Pathway

This video about the Carpentry program was produced by students in Minuteman's Multimedia Engineering program in 2020.

Program Description

The residential Carpentry program provides training to students in all aspects of residential construction. Students acquire a solid foundation of skills and knowledge in the areas of: safe use of hand and power tools, measuring and cutting, accuracy with levels, rulers, and squares, interpreting drawings and blueprints, and door, window, kitchen, and bath installations. Students also erect concrete forms, wood frame structures, floor joists, stud wall partitions, subflooring, sheathing, stairs, rafter installation, roofing, and siding.

Minuteman provides students with instruction in all aspects of mill and residential carpentry, as well as energy-saving and super-insulation techniques. The competency-based curriculum and hands-on approach enables students to be ready for off-campus projects. Abilities and talents which a student needs in order to be successful in residential carpentry include good math ability, mechanical aptitude, physical fitness and ability to work with others.

Course Content

  • Safe use of hand and power tools
  • Scaffold, ladder, personal protective equipment training
  • Measuring and cutting materials
  • Identify house construction materials
  • Demonstrate concrete foundation methods
  • Read and interpret construction blueprints, working drawings and building codes
  • Layout floor joists, stud walls, ceiling joist, rafters, stair stringers
  • Estimate material costs associated with building construction
  • Apply interior/exterior wall finishes
  • Install interior casing and mill work
  • Install door/window units and build basic stair system
  • Sustainability & Green Technologies 

Career Tree: Carpentry

First page of the PDF file: CarpentryCareerTree2019

Carpentry Instructors

Francis LaRosa

Instructor-Carpentry, Off-Site Building Project Lead

Patrick Savage

Instructor-Carpentry
Certification Header

Industry Certifications

  • 1 year’s credit towards Construction Supervisor’s License
  • OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety
  • CPR Certification

Possible Career Pathways

  • Architectural Woodworker
  • Construction Manager
  • Dry Waller
  • Finish Carpenter
  • Framer
  • Roofer
  • Sales & Estimating
  • Self-Employed Contractor & Remodeler
  • Siding Installer
  • Union Carpenter

Employers Hiring Minuteman Graduates

  • Bob Foss Contracting
  • Custom Contracting
  • Kistler & Knapp Builders
  • Villandry Contracting
Projected Salary

Salary

Massachusetts averages:

  • 1-2 Years Experience: $27.54/hour or $64,781/year
  • 10 Years Experience: $32.33/hour or $83,110

National average:

  • $23.20/hour or $48,260/year
Sources: Indeed.comU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(Updated 1/1/23)

Advisory Committee Partners

  • A Concord Carpenter, LLC.
  • Fienmen Construction
  • Orr Construction
  • R.S. Osmond Co., Inc.
  • Silva Brothers
  • Smith Construction
  • The Copper & Slate Company
  • Wheeler Construction

College Partners

  • Central Maine Community College
  • New England Institute of Technology
  • Northeastern University
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology