Roughly 30 people joined future trades people at Construction Trades Training Academy Open House on March 20 at the Goodwill Milgard Work Opportunity Center in Tacoma.

Students at the new CTTA in downtown Tacoma demonstrated how to build a set of stairs then mingled with leaders from the Building Industry Association of Washington, Washington Home Builders Foundation, local government and non-profits in Pierce County.

"One of the best training classes"

CTTA participant Hosea Immanuel, featured in the photo above, expressed his gratitude for the skills and experience he learned as part of this first co-hort of students.

"I came to this training with the only expectation to learn a little bit of carpentry — hammer a few nails, drill some screws, cut a few pieces of wood, assemble all the parts and build something useful," Immanuel said. "As the weeks went by, I found out that I was learning many other useful skills as well. Safety, communication and supervision were reinforced every single day we came to class.

"Honestly, this is one of the best training classes I have ever taken in my life," he said. "By the time I am finished here, I will leave with warm memories and a confidence that whatever job I take and/or whatever endeavors I pursue in the future I will definitely be able to use all the social, technical, professional, and leadership skills I have acquired in this class."

"Passionate about this program"

Washington Home Building Foundation 2024 Board President Bob Camp shared his support for the program.

“I am passionate about this program because this is more than just an opportunity to learn carpentry and construction fundamentals; it’s a direct investment in our community,” Camp said. “By providing hands-on training and career-readiness at no cost, we’re equipping individuals with the skills they need to advance in their professions, support their families, and strengthen our local workforce. And with direct job placement, we’re ensuring that graduates step immediately into opportunities with our municipal and homebuilder partners.”

"Expanding pathways to success"

BIAW 2025 President Kent Arola also spoke.

“The U.S. construction industry is facing a critical workforce shortage—yet we know that careers in residential construction offer strong wages and open doors to opportunities that few other industries can match,” Arola said. “This partnership builds on the strong relationships Pierce has already established with local community and technical programs, expanding pathways to success for even more individuals.”

Partnerships and funding brings CTTA to life

Members of the Master Builders of Pierce County, both Arola and Camp have served as president of BIAW during their careers. Master Builders Pierce's BOLT: Building Opportunities for Learning the Trades partnered with the City of Tacoma, the Home Builders Institute, the BIAW Washington Home Builders Foundation and Goodwill Olympics & Rainier Region to bring the CTTA to life. Major funders included:

- City of Tacoma

- Timberland Bank

- The Milgard Family

- The Norcliffe Foundation

- The Woodworth Family Foundation

- BECU

The CTTA has helped 14 people successfully complete both the OSHA 10 and Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Training (PACT) Core certification. The academy will provide another 12 PACT Carpentry certificates next week.

The next cohort of 29 enrolled students starts on April 14. Interested students can complete an inquiry form for more information.

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