LEXINGTON – Friday, June 3, 2022 – Minuteman Technical Institute (MTI) congratulates the adult students who celebrated their completion of the 15-week Carpentry Pre-Apprentice program with their families on Thursday, June 2.

The students are:

• Luca Cucciara of Allston
• Christian Gentile of Melrose
• Lucy Green of Lowell
• Rebeca Saravia of East Boston
• Andrew Vandenbossche of Waltham

Students and instructors from the Carpentry Pre-Apprentice program at Minuteman Technical Institute celebrated the completion of the course with a signing day ceremony to demonstrate the students' commitments to working in the carpentry and construction trade. Pictured here (back row, from left) are Christian Gentile of Melrose, carpentry instructor Tom Akers of NASCTF, Andrew Vandenbossche of Waltham, technical assistant Garrett Rice, (front row, from left) instructor Keith Wright of Component Drywall, Lucy Green of Lowell, Rebeca Saravia of East Boston, and Luca Cucciara of Allston.

As a result of the skills they learned at MTI, two students so far have secured carpenter apprenticeships: Green will work for Sweeney Drywall of Boxborough and Saravia will work for Turner Construction of Boston. Currently, only 11 percent of construction workers are women in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Grant-funded through the Commonwealth’s Workforce Skills Cabinet, the Carpentry Pre-Apprentice program is free for qualified applicants, including recent high school graduates. Students who complete the program receive industry-recognized credentials in OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety, Hot Work Certification, Fall Protection Certification, Scaffold Use Certification, and Mobile Elevated Work Platforms Certification.

MTI will offer additional 15-week programs in September 2022 that are free for qualified applicants in:

• Carpentry Pre-Apprentice
• CNC Machine Operator
• Facilities Management
• Robotic Technician
• Welding

MTI will also offer 10-month programs, from August to June, that require tuition in:

• Automotive Technology
• Cosmetology
• Electricity

Learn more on how to apply.

Students studied in the evenings at MTI, which is the adult evening division of the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District, at the Carpenter’s Training Centers in Dorchester and Millbury, and live work sites in the area. The program is held in collaboration with the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC) and the North Atlantic States Carpenters Training Fund (NASCTF). The instructors were Tom Akers of NASCTF and Keith Wright of Component Drywall.