How to Have a Great Career Without the College Debt
Job security with good pay is the goal, but you do not necessarily have to incur years of higher-education debt to make a career happen.
Carpentry is a career you can be paid to learn on the job and your earning potential increases with experience. Because the construction industry needs new recruits, the competition for these jobs is not as fierce, so you have a genuine chance to create your dream job.
For recent high-school graduates, or anyone 18 – 25 years old looking to move into a more rewarding and secure career, check out the Mosby Apprenticeship, a #Tradeswork program offered by Mosby Building Arts.
The Mosby apprenticeship is a year-long intensive on-the-job training program that pays Missouri state minimum wage as you learn carpentry skills from the Mosby production crew. After successful completion of the program, each apprentice will have the opportunity to apply for a full-time position with Mosby Building Arts or have the qualifications to work elsewhere in the construction industry.
Mosby accepts up to 5 apprentices each year. No previous construction experience is required. We will train each apprentice to Mosby standards, with a $1,000 completion award at the end of the year-long program.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Mosby Apprenticeship program.
Tradeswork apprentices Dan Carpenter (left) and Manuel Perez (right) learning how to build furniture, on-the-job.
Meet the First Pair of Mosby Apprentices
The first Mosby apprentices, Daniel Carpenter and Manuel Perez, were chosen in Summer 2016, and are completing their year of on-the-job training. Both have shown a deep and swift capacity for learning all aspects of the construction trade, and have been offered full-time positions with the Mosby Production Team.
DANIEL CARPENTER had completed a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Science and worked for a start-up LED Lighting company, but as he explains, “After 2 years of sitting behind a desk working on Excel, I was tired of mind-numbing work and wanted to actually create something. Reviving the trades, producing quality work, and building something lasting became enough of a pull for me that I set a goal for myself to find a way to become a carpenter and quit my job as soon as possible. As I was looking for work, my dad told me to check out Mosby Building Arts’ #Tradeswork, which sounded like a perfect opportunity to get into the trades. I applied right then and there. A few weeks later I was out from behind a desk, learning and earning on the job site.”
Dan grew up around a handy Dad, so knew basic tools and how to complete a small project, but never considered that prior experience. Tradeswork was his formal education in construction: “Learning by doing is where it’s at. The apprentice program is all hands-on experience, which is the best way to learn.
Questions were welcomed, and I never felt like I was bothering anyone I worked with. It is what you make of it. The more questions you ask, the more you learn. The more you volunteer for and ask to do, the more practice you get. The more you do on your own, the more problems you run into, which just makes you a better problem solver.”
With his apprenticeship completed, Dan has been hired as a full-time Right Bath by Mosby crew member. Here’s why he was drawn to Mosby’s bathroom remodeling division: “As someone who’s pretty green to the trade, my goal is to sponge up as much knowledge and experience I can. Right Bath has been a great way to do that because there’s so many systems involved on each job.
The quick timetable of these projects ensures that you get practice and new challenges frequently. Also, each project involves demolition, rough framing, layout, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drywall, mudding and taping, cabinet installation, tiling, painting, and trim work. Working with the Right Bath crew has given me the opportunity to work on a lot of projects from start to finish and be involved in every step of the process. “
MANUEL PEREZ did a year of college before moving to restaurant and bar jobs to support his two children. As he approached 27 years of age, he knew he needed a skill he could use the rest of his life. His mother saw a TV segment about the #Tradeswork program and talked with him about it.
Manny explains: “I didn’t know the difference between an impact drill or a hammer drill; I had never used a drill, in general. I had not one hour of construction experience in my life.”
But he did have a strong, proven work ethic and a desire to be a part of a family company that would teach him valuable skills. “It’s crazy to think about how much I know now, not even a year later. I feel like I’m a different person.”
Every 3 months, both apprentices moved on to train under a different project manager. This proved to be a good way to learn the full gamut of construction and interpersonal skills required on job sites.
“My first project manager teacher was Steve Crider,” recalls Manny. “That was the best thing that could have happened to me. He was as patient as he could be with me. He took the time to explain how and why we used the tools we used. He taught me things about work, and about life. Lead Remodeler Kristofer Lehman was my next teacher, and he’d joke ‘It’s like teaching at a kindergarten level.’ But his patience was limitless. Both of them were the father figures I never had in my life.”
Because he displayed deft skill with all aspects of siding, Manny has been permanently assigned to the Exteriors by Mosby crew. But after sampling all aspects of life on a construction crew, he says, “I will go wherever I’m needed. I will always pitch in to accomplish our goals as a team.
“Scott Mosby, Tina Reese and Tyler Cluff will never know what they have done for my life, giving me a chance to work with the Mosby team. I have learned from so many people. And the people who gave me the hardest time, in the beginning, are now people I feel like I can call after hours. It feels like I’m working with family.”
A Special Project for the Tradeswork Apprentices
During their fourth month in the program, Dan and Manuel were put on a special project: building a desk for the KMOV news crew to use at special events outside the studio. This project gave the apprentices insights with reading construction drawings, furniture-building, working with designers on finish details all while meeting strict deadlines.