The facility will also partner with Ivy Tech Community College to offer apprentices courses in human relations, technical writing, history of organized labor and personal finance.

Press Release

GREENWOOD, IND. — The Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters (IKRCC) will unveil its new 80,000 square-foot state-of-the-art training facility during an exclusive grand opening celebration on July 22 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Located at 711 Greenwood Springs Dr., the facility is one of the largest in the Midwest and will provide advanced educational opportunities for central Indiana Carpenters, Millwrights and Floor Coverers. The grand opening event is expected to draw more than 600 attendees, including local and state politicians, community dignitaries and United Brotherhood of Carpenters International President Douglas McCarron.

Despite the significant impact of the current economic climate on both the state and the nation’s building and construction trades, IKRCC Business Manager David Tharp says training and education continue to be of the utmost importance to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.

“While the challenges of the economy have certainly impacted the workload in the union construction industry, the Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters believes that education is the key to advancing individuals and communities,” Tharp said. “We look forward to providing our contractors and construction users with a new generation of well-trained and drug-free Carpenters ready to build Indiana.”

Beginning in September 2010, more than 400 apprentices will train at the new facility for careers in commercial and heavy highway construction. Apprentices will attend classes for 40 hours each week as part of a four-year training program that concludes with the completion of an associate degree in applied science from Ivy Tech Community College.

The new facility houses six large classrooms and will be occupied by more than 14 full and part-time instructors. Apprentices will learn the specifics of one of three trades, including Carpentry, Millwrights and Floor Coverers. In addition to specific trade training, the facility will also partner with Ivy Tech Community College to offer apprentices courses in human relations, technical writing, history of organized labor and personal finance.

“The new training center marks a new era in carpentry training in Indiana,” said Todd Pancake, director of training for the Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council. “Our apprentices will learn in a state-of-the art environment incomparable to other training programs. At the end of the day, better training always equates to better tradesmen.”

Media are invited to attend the grand opening event. A public open house will be held at the end of August.

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About The Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters (IKRCC):

The Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters, one of the largest building trade unions in Indiana, represents more than 16,000 Carpenters, Millwrights and Floor Coverers. Each year, the IKRCC invests more than $7 million in training completed throughout nine training centers in Indiana and Kentucky. The IKRCC belongs to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, North America’s largest building trades union, representing more than a half-million members in the construction and wood-products industries. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters proudly boasts a 130-year history of improving lives through hard work, education and solidarity. For more information about IKRCC, please visit www.ikrcc.com. For more information about the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, please visit www.carpenters.org.

Source: Indiana-Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters