Construction of a millwright and carpenter training center is underway in Russellville, Arkansas. Compared to the current 10,000-square-foot facility, the 35,000-square-foot new center will offer additional classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, more training space, and extra administrative room for local union offices.
“The main advantage of this new training center will be having more space for training,” said Bryan Spradley, training director, Arkansas/Oklahoma Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training Program. “We started in a small, two-room facility and moved to the current location, and now we’re moving to a new building that’s more than double that size.”
This center also will include a renewable-energy training facility and will be the hub for the Southern District’s wind-turbine-maintenance initiative. Two wind turbines will make hands-on training possible. A solar farm that will power the facility and provide training opportunities will be part of the center as well.
“We are dedicated to building a training center specifically to address the renewable energy markets of solar and wind, and we are dedicated to training a workforce to service those industries,” Jennings said.
The center’s high-visibility location is expected to help with recruiting members and marketing to potential industry partners.
Click here for a photo gallery and updates on project progress.