Consider Carpentry
Why a great career path often gets overlooked and how employers can help change this
What does a career in carpentry entail? What should you expect when interviewing with different companies? Where could this career take you? Read on if you are interested in this path for your career or if you are a company trying to attract new talent and diversify your workforce.
Anna teaching an “Introduction to Carpentry” workshop with We Built This, a program she founded to increase access and inclusivity in the trades.
Are you at a transitional moment in your life and trying to decide what comes next? Have you considered carpentry ?
Here are a few quick qualifiers:
Do you like to work with your hands?
Are you okay with working outside and in weather?
Do you enjoy problem solving?
Does detailed work hold your interest?
Are you able to lift, carry and climb?
Do you like a job that changes daily?
Are you encouraged by seeing the physical results of the work you’ve done in a day?
If you answered yes to these questions, perhaps you should consider carpentry…
I started my own journey 6 years ago as an apprentice and have found exciting growth opportunities every day in this career. When I first joined Maine Passive House, I wanted to design buildings. I felt overwhelmed trying to understand how a set of plans could become a full-fledged structure.
I realized that I would need to know how to put the pieces together before I could draw something on the page. Building was the answer. I was 23 years old and had never once considered carpentry as a career path.
What is stopping people from joining the trades?
Academic Pressures
“We need to disrupt the narrative that the trades are not a desirable path after high school.”
For a long time there was a lot of pressure on young folks to get a college degree right out of high school. It became the “respectable” path. A glorified one. Guidance counselors held meetings with stressed out juniors under pressure to accumulate Advanced Placement credits and submit 2-8 college applications by January. Standardized testing, extracurriculars and application fees all made college into an exclusive and expensive endeavor. Often, the stereotype was that technical and vocational training schools were for students who didn’t excel in the classroom. Many graduates enrolled in college as “Undeclared” and used their college experience to figure out where their interests lay. College is quite an expensive way to explore your options!
According to a report by ANGI Research & Economics, the age people enter the trades has shifted since 1980. It used to be that one third of tradespeople started their careers between the ages of 16-20 years old. Current polling shows that the dominant age group for entering the trades is now 25-30 years old. What is causing this shift?
You guessed it… college.
There are so many things to unpack here, the first being that many young people are choosing to wrack up significant debt to pursue “higher education” when the trades offer significant job satisfaction and higher than average pay of $55,000 per year. Nearly 85% of tradespeople describe their job as somewhat or very satisfying and the prevailing reason for that satisfaction is due to finding “meaning and value in the work.”
I don’t want to discount some of the life skills and social development that I benefited from by living on campus and studying at a liberal arts college. However…
If I could tap my 17 year old self on the shoulder, I would say, “Hey, consider all your options, babe.”
There is a labor shortage in the skilled trades. National statistics show that 27% of skilled tradespeople are within 10 years of retirement. These are skills that keep the world moving forward. They were deemed “essential” during the early days of COVID-19 lockdowns. We need to disrupt the narrative that the trades are not a desirable path after high school.
I hope I can show you some ways this can feel like a successful and fulfilling career, but before we get there, let’s examine another common barrier to entry.
Diversity and the Trades
There is no need to beat around the bush here, carpentry and the trades in the United States are saturated with cis, white men. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a significant racial disparity in the construction industry. Systemic racism is a significant cause of this inequity tracing back to the structural inequalities this country was built upon as well as the unionization of the industry. The first strikes in the industry caused the formation of unions. People who could not afford to stop working during strikes were excluded from the negotiation table. Things are changing, but historically, the construction industry has not been a desirable place for people of color.
Advice from the MPH Crew: “There is more diversity now than there used to be. It's not all white dudes, chain smoking and telling dirty jokes”
There is also significant gender disparity in the trades. The Maine Department of Labor reports that only 14% of construction workers are female, which is even lower than the national average of 18%. The proportion of women in construction has not improved much over the last four decades.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry has the second highest rate of sexual harassment in the country.
Hollywood depicts construction workers catcalling - a stereotype that holds some weight. It’s intimidating to enter a trade with such a toxic reputation. Furthermore, it can be quite hard to imagine yourself in an industry when you don’t have any role models that look like you.
But this is changing.
The way I see it…
I’m partial to beginning your career in the “green building” sector, especially if you’re the first one through the door. My own experience has been quite positive. I have a few theories, but this speculation is entirely anecdotal.
One theory is that these environmentally conscious builders are already open-minded and innovative, so hiring a “non-traditional” carpenter is done thoughtfully and intentionally. I also believe that the attention to detail required to preserve a continuous air barrier and various membranes on an energy efficient building can provide a critical task for people with little to no carpentry experience.
In my humble opinion, if you enter the trades today I recommend being selective about joining a company that cares for the planet and people as much as profit. My guess is you’ll have better support there.
None of this change happens in a bubble. By hiring women and people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, the clients, subcontractors and vendors all have to adapt alongside the company. Even if the crew is ready to support this change, there are plenty of opportunities for unpleasant interactions, harassment and microaggressions in the community at large.
““When the work culture isn’t healthy, a job site can be a very unpleasant place to be.””
I highly recommend confirming that the organization you are working for is prepared to address issues internally and externally.
Chances are, if the company has a diverse crew, they have had to deal with a number of challenges before. However, it’s likely that if you are the first in the door they haven’t prepared fully for what that might mean. This is a critical topic to discuss with your potential future employer.
Questions to ask in your job search:
(Companies take note, consider asking yourselves these questions, too. Your answers might help you discover if you are truly prepared to support a crew member who diversifies your team.)
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This is a fairly standard interview question across all industries. I think it is very important to ask when applying for construction jobs because pay, benefits and care for employees can vary vastly within the industry. This question can help identify if your priorities align. If you are motivated by making as much money as possible there are companies with plenty of opportunities to receive bonuses and work overtime. Alternatively, you can find construction companies that place a higher value on work life balance. There are also those that prioritize improving the built environment or community development. Any combination of these priorities is available in your job search. Regardless of your motivations, there are enough employment options out there for anyone to find success and satisfaction in carpentry.
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Trade partner relationships are incredibly important for determining if the company is going to take care of you. If the subcontractors get paid on time, choose to work with this company regularly, and have solid relationships with the team, it’s very likely that the company treats their own crew well, too. It can be quite intimidating working with trade partners, especially as a woman or minority, because they are a variable you don’t regularly have to contend with. Expectations might be different, levels of appropriateness need to be established, and relationships built. If your company has a healthy relationship with these contractors the likelihood of establishing a positive working relationship is higher.
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This is a critical conversation to determine if the company you are about to work for is prepared to support a more diverse workforce. If you are part of the majority group, having a conversation early will give you a sense of the company’s expectations of you. If you are part of a minority group this question can offer you some insight into how ready the team is to have you on board. I would suggest that the company has a written agreement with trade partners regarding sexual harassment and misconduct and a plan in place if any breach occurs. Don’t forget to discuss the feedback channels within the company so that when something does occur, you know you have a safe avenue to find support. Bonus points if your interviewer brings this up without your prompting. Ideally it is work that they should be doing, and not your responsibility as the employee.
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Annual reviews are very important. Training for leadership to provide constructive feedback in real time is also very important. So much of this industry is built upon knowledge sharing and practice. If you don’t receive timely and useful feedback, your skill building can become frustrating and take longer than necessary.
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Your coworkers can affect your experience at work. If the crew operates as a team, there will likely be a lot more learning opportunities available to you. You will develop support and advocacy among each other.
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A good indicator of how supportive a company might be is if they can actively identify who your allies/advocates might be on the crew. If you identify with a minority group, it’s encouraging to hear that the company offers inclusion and advocacy training to their crew to supplement the other safety training. If a company cannot identify a specific advocate or does not understand the need for advocacy, they may not be ready for diversity.
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There are a number of approaches to the carpentry field. Some companies offer specialized crews that get really efficient at their task, whether that’s framing, stair building, interior finishes, or siding. Other crews run projects from “frame to finish” which means they’re on site as soon as the foundation is poured and they leave when the house is complete and ready for the clients to move in. If you want to become a master of your craft, a more specialized route may be more preferable. If you want to understand a building from start to finish you might seek that out instead.
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There’s something to be said about working in a field that allows you to be creative and problem solve every day, while also witnessing the physical manifestation of your efforts. Homebuilding offers unique challenges on every project. The site conditions alone can create a challenge, let alone the detailing required for water management, and the craft your client is looking for in the finished product. Traditionally, the trades have been taught through apprenticeship. Mentorship is critical to learning skills for your trade and it’s important to find a company that supports that growth. Seek out companies that have a clear apprenticeship skill ladder or an affiliation with the Maine Apprenticeship Program. Most companies will provide on site training with no necessary experience. Local community colleges and adult ed programs will offer NCCER Core Curriculum and other in class training opportunities for people to supplement site skills.
““Choose carefully the company you decide to work for, the level of their skills are directly transferred to you.”
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What to expect your first day:
Getting started in carpentry requires that you have a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a willingness to clean, tidy and perform menial labor when your mentor is otherwise occupied. It is absolutely critical that you check your ego at the door and come with initiative to keep yourself busy in a productive manner. It also requires that you are inquisitive and pursue your own development. Approach a supervisor or mentor when they are working on a project you want to learn more about. Spend time at home reading about the upcoming tasks. The more prepared you are each the day, the more you add to the team, and the faster you will progress.
Advice from the MPH Crew:
“Find a good mentor. There's as much to handle about the culture as there is about the job. A good work environment is everything.”
A carpentry apprentice for residential construction is expected to learn basic jobsite etiquette, the sequencing of a construction project, maintaining cleanliness, safety and organization on site, and assisting with all carpentry tasks.
This role is meant to prepare someone to work independently as a carpenter performing tasks like framing, flashing for water, installing windows and doors, finish carpentry, decking, siding and trim. People who succeed in this role are motivated; they take initiative and look for ways to be helpful. They care about developing skills and learning the trade. In short, your attitude is everything.
Basic tools to bring on your first day:
Tool belt
Hammer
Speed square
Tape measure
Box cutter
Pencil
Sharpie
Cat’s Paw
Opportunities for growth within the industry:
After apprenticeship, people can continue on to become carpenters, specialized carpenters, Lead Carpenters, Project Managers, Site Supervisors, General Contractors, and building energy auditors. That’s just scratching the surface of the carpentry industry.
Basic requirements for most of these positions include:
Math and problem solving abilities
Intermediate English skills
Ability to lift 50 lbs or more
Work on your feet for 8-10 hours/day
Inquisitive and driven
If you continue on into construction management some additional skills are required:
Client management/communication
Leadership skills
Organizational skills
Advice from the MPH Crew: “I love seeing space take shape, a form that was not there prior to coming into existence, accepting and casting light in new ways.”
This field can offer steady benefits, career advancement, community relationships, interesting and challenging new opportunities, creativity, and good wages. It is a marketable skill anywhere in the world and it will serve you on your own personal projects.
There is a great need for people to enter the construction industry and learn the trades to carry on into the future. At this moment in history it is an employee’s market and I strongly recommend that you learn more about the companies you are interested in to make your selection based on common values and potential opportunities. The work that you do as a carpenter is physically rewarding and the buildings you construct will stand for decades to come, a testament to your impact on the built environment.
