Carpenters union gives BBBS youth hands-on trade experience

By AI, Created 7:11 PM UTC, May 26, 2026, /AGP/ – Sixty-five Big Brothers Big Sisters youth learned basic carpentry skills at a woodworking event in Millville, New Jersey, on April 16. The program aimed to expose young people to union trades and help build a pipeline into high-demand construction jobs.

Why it matters: - The event introduced youth to carpentry at a time when construction employers need more trained workers. - Carpenter Contractor Trust leaders said hands-on exposure can help build career pipelines into high-demand trades. - The session paired mentoring with skills training, offering both career awareness and a practical first step into the field.

What happened: - Sixty-five Big Brothers Big Sisters participants attended a woodworking event on Thursday, April 16, at the Cumberland County Technical Education Center in Millville, New Jersey. - Youth learned basic carpentry skills from mentors with Maplewood Shop and the Carpenter Contractor Trust. - The group built keepsake boxes from 1x6 pine boards.

The details: - Students practiced tool safety, measurement and layout, hand sawing and basic assembly. - The project gave participants a tangible finished product and an introduction to the day-to-day work of a carpenter. - Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national youth organization that pairs adult volunteers with children for one-to-one mentoring. - The organization says that mentoring helps kids build confidence, improve school performance and avoid risky behavior. - Dan Wright, workforce development coordinator at the Carpenter Contractor Trust, called the event a fun-filled learning experience that combined adult mentoring with a real-world introduction to construction. - Wright said the event showed opportunities for young adults in the union trades, especially carpentry.

Between the lines: - The construction trades are competing for attention from young people as older workers retire in larger numbers than new workers entering the labor force. - Events like this also strengthen ties between labor organizations and community groups. - The focus on union carpentry reflects an effort to make the trades look like a stable long-term career, not just a short-term job.

What’s next: - The Carpenter Contractor Trust plans to keep using initiatives like woodworking nights to meet demand for highly trained construction workers. - Leaders expect more community partnerships as part of that pipeline-building effort. - The broader goal is to connect young adults with careers that can support them and their communities over time.

The bottom line: - The event used hands-on learning to show BBBS youth that carpentry can be a realistic and rewarding career path.