Photo provided Nearly a dozen carpentry students at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School took part in the third-annual Carpentry Signing Day with Carpenters Local 186 of Steubenville on April 10. Officials said a wide array of opportunities were available from training programs to jobs as carpenters, millwrights, pile drivers, floor layers and cabinetmakers. Pictured are, front from left, David Edwards, Maddox Simmons, Harley Davidson, Chris Hatch, Donald Wilson, Tucker Winski, and Robert Koehnlein. Back: Austin Mills, David Howell, Carpentry Local 186 President Troy Stewart, Brody Martin and Mason Delp.

BLOOMINGDALE — Future carpenters, floor coverers and cabinetmakers signed on the dotted line during the third-annual Carpentry Signing Day at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School.

Nearly a dozen students in Dave Lucas’s program met with Troy Stewart, president of Carpenters Union Local 186 of Steubenville, on April 10 to add their names to the membership list as they laid the foundation for their careers.

The union, affiliated with the Central Midwest Carpenters and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, offers opportunities through the Career Connections program, which introduces high school students to careers in carpentry. It also provides apprenticeships, additional training after graduation and access to well-paying jobs with benefits.

“We’ve had signing day for the past three years,” Stewart said. “We recognize those who play sports, so why not recognize those who are going into organized labor? They earn good wages and benefits and build great futures for themselves.”

Students signing included Tucker Winski, David Edwards, Donald Wilson, Mason Delp, Robert Koehnlein, Harley Davidson, David Howell, Austin Mills, Brady Martin, Chris Hatch, Maddox Simmons and Jordan Bennett.

Winski plans to join the U.S. Army after graduation, where he will complete electrical work and cross-train in carpentry. He said he may join the union after his discharge.

In the meantime, he has been building skills through his studies at the JVS.

Winski said the program has completed projects ranging from picture frames, tables, birdhouses and benches to modular homes and houses in the Breezewood Manor subdivision. Students also have completed in-house renovations, including work in the board conference room, a handicapped-accessible ramp and new flooring in the school office.

“We learn a lot of vital skills in the carpentry business, including wall systems, shingles, trusses — all the things you need to know in everyday life,” he said. “There are a lot of good skills here in the carpentry program. It has not only opened up a lot of opportunities for me but it has given me a sense of purpose.”

He said the trade runs in his family, with both his grandfather and uncle working as carpenters.

“The carpentry program also helps you build confidence, and you have to be confident with the work that you do,” he said.

Instructor Dave Lucas said signing day is a valuable step for students entering the workforce.

“Career Connections is a great opportunity for students to excel in their ventures,” he said.

The Career Connections program helps teachers introduce students to the trade through basic and intermediate carpentry, advanced commercial and residential construction skills and construction site safety. It also emphasizes employability skills such as goal setting, positive attitude, punctuality, teamwork and initiative.

Winski also is preparing to represent the JVS at the Ohio SkillsUSA competition in Columbus on May 5-6, where more than 5,000 students will compete in 16 career pathways. Stewart presented him with a $250 check from the union to support his participation.

“They are giving students an area to work, breathe, learn and give back to the community,” Stewart said. “It’s an honest living.”

After graduation, potential members will complete a digital signing for the carpenters union and apprenticeship program. Four training centers are available statewide, with the closest in Richfield through the Ohio Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program. Apprentices train four weeks per year while working for a contractor.

Stewart said opportunities range from carpentry and floor laying to pile driving, millwright work and cabinetmaking. Tradespeople may work across the country on projects including homes, skyscrapers, hotels, bridges, commercial structures and nuclear power plants.