The Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters Open House season is officially complete. We had record-breaking attendance at nearly every training center – and shattered our total attendance records. Through September and October, we saw over 7,800 high schoolers, community leaders, and more in our training centers in Warsaw, Merrillville, Louisville, Greenwood, Newburgh, Terre Haute, Grayson, Richfield, Columbus, Monroe, and Rossford. Read more
In February, we celebrated 863 graduates from 2020, 2021, and 2022: with over 400 walking across the stage for the Ohio Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program’s graduation ceremony.
Read more
With an increasing number of end users requiring proof of vaccination, the UBC has now launched an online portal to upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination through your Training Verification Cards. The portal can be accessed through the UBC Mobile app or from your TVC card.
Get step by step instructions by clicking here or reading below.
High school students interested in trade programs have new options amidst the pandemic. With many schools going virtual or shifting to a hybrid learning model, technical programs are adapting to meet new standards. The Ohio Carpenters’ Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program and Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Joint Apprenticeship Training are offering a new blended learning curriculum for Career Connection partners.
The Career Connections program is designed to help high school teachers introduce students to a career in carpentry. Students learn basic and intermediate carpentry, advanced skills in commercial and residential construction, and the essentials of construction site safety. The program also includes training in the employability that research shows employers value most, including: goal setting, positive attitude, punctuality, teamwork, and taking initiative.
The new Learning Management System (LMS) digital curriculum offers schools and teachers a way to engage students with both online and with limited in-person, hands-on learning. Completion of the program offers students a direct-entry into the apprenticeship program.
Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) represents over 35,000 men and women tradespeople in 40 locals in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and parts of West Virginia and Tennessee. A proud affiliate of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, which has a century-plus tradition of representing the best of building trades.
The apprenticeship is a four-year program that offers a solid education, in the classroom and on the job. Apprentices learn from a hands-on approach within the training centers and in the field. We take an “earn-as-you-learn” approach to our apprenticeship, ensuring you can earn a good, living wage with benefits for your family – right from the start. Apprentices also receive college credits throughout their program at no additional cost.
IKORCC apprenticeships offer a direct path to a rewarding career and a financially solid future. Financial security, high demand careers, pride in your skills, and a sense of community: the IKORCC apprenticeship delivers it all in a comprehensive, highly respected program.
Indiana & Kentucky
Hope Harp
Career Connections Specialist
771 Greenwood Springs Drive
Greenwood, IN 46143
P: 502.889.1677
hharp@ikorccjatf.org
Ohio
Jeremy Dennis
Career Connections Specialist
1899 Arlingate Lane
Columbus, OH 43228
P: 419.566.3270
jdennis@ohcap.org
Written by: Dan Sustin, Training Coordinator of the Ohio Carpenters JATC, Richfield Campus
During the week of March 2nd–6th, the Richfield Training Center hosted a special out-of-town guest. Levi Beauchamp, the Training Coordinator and Instructor from the Alberta Carpenters Training Center, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, decided to take a field trip to Ohio.
March 18, 2020
In an effort to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), all training centers in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio will be closed until May 4th, 2020. All Local Unions within our jurisdiction and council offices will remain open, however, we encourage members not to visit in person. Instead, contact the locals and council via phone, email, website or on our social media channels.
It’s even easier than ever to get started in a new career. The Ohio Carpenters’ Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program is offering a new direct-entry pre-apprenticeship program at no cost.
This 40-hour class offered during evenings or weekends acts as a condensed orientation into carpentry, millwright, pile driving, and floor covering careers. Enrolling now for classes beginning in March, Pre-Apprentices will learn to use power tools in a safe manner and will receive college credit for the hours.
6,000 – that’s the number of people who attended IKORCC open houses in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. In a whirlwind month of open houses, high school students and community leaders visited training centers in Greenwood, Warsaw, Terre Haute, Newburgh, Merrillville, Louisville, Grayson, Columbus, Monroe, Rossford, and Richfield.
“I was considering becoming an electrician, but after I learned about the millwrights I changed my mind. I can’t wait to get started,” a high school senior at the Merrillville, Indiana open house said.
This high school senior summed it up perfectly. At the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters we know that once students see our training in-person and learn more about the program, joining the apprenticeship is a no-brainer.
Students particularly enjoyed the hands-on activities including virtual welding, nail challenge, and the floor covering challenge. Next year training centers plan to add a hands-on ICRA (Infection Control Risk Assesment) challenge which will teach students the importance of using barriers during construction in medical facilities to protect patients.
According to the Department of Labor, careers in skilled trades like carpentry, flooring, and welding are in high demand and the need for skilled workers will continue to rise with coming infrastructure improvements. This fact was evident in Grayson, Kentucky on Thursday when over 1,200 students visited the Grayson, Kentucky training center open house.
Over 30 busses lined the drive to the Grayson, Kentucky training center where students learned about our apprenticeship, participated in hands-on activities and met with contractors ready-to-hire.
“We have a great partnership with all of the local schools and a lot of people in Grayson work in the trades, so students understand the great life they can have with a career in our trades. Getting them out here to see it first-hand solidifies that idea and gets them ready to start their apprenticeship right after high school,” says IKORCC Senior Business Representative Jerry Yates.
Richfield, Ohio also had a very large turnout with 1100 attendees getting to see additional areas of our crafts, including millwork, pile driving, cabinetry, furniture making, stairs, and ceiling work.
“Work is so good here and word of that really alerts people to the fact that there are bonafide opportunities here. In this part of Ohio, we’ve got the majority of Ohio’s career connection partner schools, and these schools want their students to see what the next step is and that is our apprenticeship,” says Dan Sustin, training director for the Richfield Carpenters Training Center Campus.
Thank you to all the students, teachers, community leaders, politicians, vendors, contractors, and staff that helped make this year our most successful yet! Check out all the photos & videos from each open house by following the links below:
Greenwood Carpenters Training Center
Merrillville Carpenters Training Center
Newburgh Carpenters Training Center
Terre Haute Carpenters Training Center
Warsaw Carpenters Training Center
Louisville Carpenters Training Center
Grayson Carpenters Training Center
Columbus Carpenters Training Center
Monroe Carpenters Training Center
Richfield Carpenters Training Center
Rossford Carpenters Training Center
Last weekend we invited first-year carpenter apprentices in central Indiana to an apprentice appreciation breakfast. IKORCC senior representative 
Steve Hoyt says it’s the first of many events planned around Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio aimed at retaining and mentoring apprentices throughout their training.
“First, we want the apprentices to learn as much as they can & try to get as many tips as they can to be successful in the carpenters union. The other is for our staff to help mentor these individuals,” Hoyt says.
Representatives from Pepper Construction, Gibson-Lewis and Mr. David’s Flooring answered questions & gave tips on succeeding as an apprentice.
“We’re looking for the standouts, those are the kind of people we like to hire and we like to keep on,” says Wes Simpson with Mr. David’s Flooring.
In addition to a great breakfast, carpenter apprentices say they learned a lot of valuable information that will help them succeed with the carpenters.
“The most important thing is to always show up on time for everything, whether it’s your schooling or work,” says first-year carpenter apprentice Christopher Hudson.
“Basically keep a positive attitude, show up for work and do what you got to do to succeed,” said first-year apprentice Antoine Havvard
First-year carpenter apprentice Justin Eastman added, “The most important thing I learned today is how much support we have here and how many outlets we have to avoid a catastrophe with our apprenticeship. These people are here to help us, they have no ulterior motives, they don’t want to make our lives complicated, they just want to help. We aren’t here to make friends, but at the end of the day, we are brothers. Whatever you need help with reach out and make that phone call.”
Click here to learn more about our apprenticeship and how you can start building your future.
This week, Indiana and Kentucky Instructors and on-the-job trainers had the opportunity to participate in a rigorous training for the latest Trimble Robotic Total Station. The Trimble Robotic Total Station is key to performing layout tasks more efficiently than with conventional mechanical systems. This training prepares our students and instructors alike to evolve with technological instruments that are leading the way in the Carpentry industry.
Director of Training for Indiana and Ohio, Jerry Burke says, “The Trimble training has given our Instructors the knowledge and resources to not only show our members how to perform Building Construction Layout and Data Collection in the most productive and efficient way, but will show increased value of our IKORCC workforce as the most innovative skilled craftsman.” 
The training included an informational classroom lecture and hands-on learning with assistance from Trimble certified instructors. During the hands-on learning, instructors were able to conveniently set up the Trimble and perform positioning around the training center. The Trimble will allow for positioning up to 300 meters (9,843 feet) away with the prism pole. The new instrument can also be set-up and performed efficiently by one user. This will be the first hands-on robotic instrument in the training center for instructors and students to use. Ari Perez, an instructor out of the Indianapolis, IN Training Center said, “As instructors we feel that it is our duty to keep pace with the technological advancements of our industries.” We look forward to the many opportunities the new training will provide for our members.
For more information on Trimble Robotic Total Station Training, contact a Training Center near you.