December 13, 2022 • 12 mins
The Carpentry Diploma program is a sequence of courses that prepares students for careers in the carpentry industry. Learning opportunities develop academic, occupational, and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program emphasizes a combination of carpentry theory and practical application necessary for successful employment. Program graduates receive a carpentry diploma and have the qualifications of an entry-level residential carpenter or entry-level commercial carpenter.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:04):
Whatever your goals and dreams are. Don't be afraid to
go after them it's never too late.
S2 (00:08):
And I don't know that Chatt Tech understands the impact
that they make on people's lives, but they do.
S3 (00:14):
There is no such thing as an ideal candidate for
the carpentry program. Oftentimes what we see is students will
start the program with zero prior knowledge of tools, of
building practices, and then they'll go on to have successful
careers in commercial and residential construction.
S4 (00:27):
98 .7 Chatt Tech or 98.7% of our students earn a career.
The day we'll be talking to current and former students,
faculty and a local recruiter about the carpentry program. We'll
learn more about how students can hammer out the details
and build a career they love.
S2 (00:41):
My name is Elle Lawton and I'm in the carpentry
program at Chat Tech.
S4 (00:46):
What interested you about the carpentry program?
S2 (00:48):
I want to take steel containers and I want to
make them beautiful. That's my dream. That's what I want
to do. I want to take a box and I
want to make them beautiful. Chat tech is going to
teach me how to do that, and I'm going to
make affordable homes for women.
S1 (01:00):
Hi, my name is Dareeus Wilson .
S5 (01:01):
Say, I am a graduate of the carpentry and construction
program at Chat Tech and I am now a year
to carpenter with Annie Johnson.
S4 (01:08):
Dareeus, what about you? Why did you choose carpentry?
S5 (01:11):
It's ultimately my desire to want to be in construction.
When I used to be a high school, I had
a love for construction. I was always fond of, you know,
building and putting things together. And so that's what ultimately led me to it. Going to Chatt Tech-
it was just ultimately my love for it.
S6 (01:31):
My name is Marci Smith and I'm the dean of
Business and Technical Studies at Chattahoochee Tech. So our carpentry
program has a couple of options for students. One option
is a short certificate. It's three courses. It's called certified
Construction Worker. And what students learn in that certificate is
an overview of building practices. They learn tools and safety
(01:54):
and they learn reading fundamentals. And that's a great place
for a person to start who wants to go work
in the construction industry. Then we also offer the carpentry diploma.
Carpentry Diploma provides a wide variety of courses around building
of structures. And so they're going to learn site layout
(02:14):
and footings. They're going to learn interior and exterior finishes,
they're going to learn framing and all of that sort
of thing.
S3 (02:21):
Thanks, Marci. I'm David Mazzotta I'm the lead instructor at Chattahoochee Tech.
For the carpentry program. For most of my adult life I was an infantryman
in the Army. I got out in 2018 and I
knew what I wanted to work on my hands. The
carpentry program at Chattahoochee Tech was a no brainer. So
I'm a graduate of the program, a small business owner
and best job on Earth. I get to teach what
I'm passionate about.
S4 (02:41):
What makes a good candidate for the carpentry program at
Chat Tech?
S3 (02:44):
There is no such thing as an ideal candidate for
the carpentry program. Oftentimes what we see is students will
start the program with zero prior knowledge of tools, of
building practices, and then they'll go on to have successful
careers in commercial and residential construction. That being said, if
you enjoy working with your hands, if you enjoy working
in an oftentimes high pressure environment, if you get a
sense of accomplishment from a completed project, this is the
(03:07):
program for you. Now.
S4 (03:07):
David it seems like carpentry is something that may be
challenging to learn in the classroom. Do students get a lot
of hands on time.
S3 (03:14):
So the carpentry program capitalizes on hands on time. This
is obviously a very active career field and that's something
that I take a lot of pride in, is how
much workshop time we get in the carpentry program. So
obviously stuff is important. We do spend some time in
the classroom. I went through a textbook learning safety precautions, tools,
(03:35):
wall framing how close together studs need to be to
make it structurally sound. Then we're going to move into
the workshop and we're going to use what we have
learned through our textbook, and we're going to put that
together into a shed. That is the project right now.
We are going to build a ten by 12 shed,
and that means foundation walls, roofs covered up, make it pretty.
(03:58):
And that's going to cover everything that we need to
do in a residential construction setting.
S4 (04:03):
Okay. What are some of the tools that students get
to use.
S3 (04:05):
Tools in the Carpenter program? You've got every tool that
you can imagine hand tools, power tools, pneumatic tools.
S4 (04:12):
Okay, this may take a while, and I don't want
to mess up his rhythm. We'll check back in. Marci,
what's the lab experience like for students?
S6 (04:19):
We have a lab on our Appalachian campus where students
put their hands on all of those things. So they
are actually building buildings within that building, and then they
tear them down and they build something else. So they're
getting all of that experience in a real life sort
of setting so that they're doing it. And then the instructors,
they're going to get feedback. Did you think about this?
(04:41):
This was the wrong tool, that sort of thing. So
it's a really great kind of hands on program for
somebody who's interested in building, but is really a hands on.
S4 (04:51):
Building, a building in a building only to tear it down.
It sounds a lot like my second grade AP Lego Class.
Let's check back in with lead instructor David, who's been
covering all the tools that students use.
S3 (05:02):
For certain applications we'll go over soccer, how fake your cuts are
going to be, pneumatic tools, how important those are to
framing a house. Circular saws, miter saws, table saws, fasteners,
you name it. We got it. Yeah.
S4 (05:16):
I think you covered everything, David. Let's talk about jobs.Does
Chatt Tech, help place graduates.
S3 (05:21):
That is a priority for this program is creating a
pipeline to good careers. And so former students have gone
on to work for well-established commercial construction companies around Atlanta
doing steel framing drywall. Companies that have lasted the test
of time and offer fantastic benefits and pay for skilled labor, particularly.
(05:46):
Anning Johnson out of Atlanta has hired four students of
this program. And those students came in with various degrees
of of knowledge of skill set. And two of them,
I know, came in with very, very little experience. And
this company hired them on immediately completing the program at
a higher pay than if they were to just walk
(06:08):
off the street. And they are now doing layouts for
that company. On a fast track to being foreman, Graduates
can expect to find jobs in a huge range of
industries is a very robust job. By some estimates, the
US is more than 3 million homes short of the demand,
and since 2018, the metro Atlanta area has grown about 2%
(06:29):
per year, driving demand for skilled labor. So the sky's
the limit with the skill set this program offers and
the job opportunities that come with it.
S7 (06:36):
My name is Edwin Parra. I'm with Anning Johnson Company,
where a nationwide specialty contractor also known as the DRAW Subcontractor.
We've been in business since 1940. Our original office was
opened in Chicago, Illinois in 1940. We opened our Atlanta
office in 1948, and today we have eight offices across
(06:57):
the US.
S4 (06:58):
But this program isn't just about carpentry in terms of wood, right?
I hear, there's more to it.
S7 (07:02):
There's definitely more to carpentry than just working with wood.
We specifically work in middle stud frame acoustic ceiling installation, which
uses all the same fundamentals of what we know is
residential carpentry or construction. Same measurements, similar tools, materials, equipment, etc..
S4 (07:20):
Thanks, Edwin. Are there any advantages to hiring a tech
carpentry grad over somebody without the degree? Sure.
S7 (07:26):
So we've actually started working with programs like the program,
the construction program there at Chattahoochee Tech about ten years ago.
And what we found was that individuals that may have
not had any previous on the job construction experience, they
still provided a lot of value to us on the
project by the safety training and safety credentials that they
(07:50):
earn there at programs like like you have at Chattahoochee Tech.
What that equated to was, well, quite simple. Almost eliminating
our biggest risk hazard in construction. 70% of the accidents
that happen on a job site occur with individuals that
are new to the industry. Since over the last ten
(08:11):
years that we've been recruiting out of programs like the
programs they're attracting, we've had zero recordable injuries from students
that have come out of programs at Chad Tech and
other programs similar to that. So literally that that helped,
you know, obviously reduce liability, increase production, reduce turnover. So
it was just a win win across the board for us.
(08:32):
And it also created a lot more opportunity for young
people entering the industry, coming out of programs like that.
Once companies like ours and other companies started to realize
the value that students were bringing coming out of these programs,
it really created more awareness in the industry to talent
from these programs.
S4 (08:51):
So Dareeus, as a former student, is there money to
be made from a carpentry degree?
S1 (08:57):
I would say there is money to be made. A
lot of things factor into it Experience. What company you
with your level of expertise? For me, being with the
company that I'm going on two years, I've already had over
four pay raises, you know, And then also being a
union carpenter, you know, that plays into it as well.
So yeah, there's money out there and you want it,
(09:19):
you're going to get it.
S4 (09:20):
What about an employer's point of view on career growth, Edwin?
S7 (09:22):
So we usually take individuals out of programs like the
construction program at Chatt Tech . We start them out in an
entry level role as a laborer. In that role, they're
able to be exposed to all the different types of tools, materials,
equipment on the job site without really having them having
to have the knowledge. So there's a little less pressure
coming on board initially without that previous experience. But it
(09:45):
allows you to opportunity to learn those things from the
ground up. It also allows us the opportunity to evaluate.
And if we see that the person has potential to grow,
they have the opportunity to join our apprenticeship program. Once
they join those apprenticeship programs, they're eligible for raises every
six months, their first two years. At this time. Typically,
people coming out of programs like this will generally start
(10:06):
around $17 an hour. And if they didn't go to
programs like this, they'd probably start between 15 and $16
an hour, depending on their experience. So literally just taken
a few courses at a school like Chatt Tech and increase their
earning potential from day one, even though they don't have
specific experience or on the job training just yet. The
first year it's a dollar raise every six months. The
(10:28):
second year it's a dollar 50 raise every six months.
So they can go, you know, from $17 now to
$22 an hour within their first two years and learn
the fundamentals of commercial carpentry.
S4 (10:39):
Is there anything else to add? I just want to
make sure I saw everything.
S1 (10:43):
I'll just say to whoever uses, you know, whatever your
goals and dreams are. Don't be afraid to go after them.
I never thought I would be back in college or
in school, and I went back at the age of
30 because I knew that there was more to life
for me, you know, than what I was doing at
that present time. Go after your goals, go after your dreams,
and don't let nothing and no one stop you. And yes,
(11:03):
you're going to have bumps and hiccups along the way.
But hey, it's all a lesson. It's all a lesson.
S2 (11:09):
I don't know that chat tech understands the impact that
they make on people's lives, but they do it. But
it's not just chat. Tech is a big building or
the multiple buildings. If the people in those buildings that
make those moments happen, it's every single person is important.
Every single day you show up is important. You're making
(11:30):
a difference in somebody's life.
S4 (11:32):
Elle, It sounds like you really hit the nail on the head. Okay,
I'll stop now. For more information about the carpentry program
at Chattahoochee Tech, visit Chattahoochee Tech dot EU. Thanks for
listening to 97 Chat Tech where 98.7% of our students
earn a career.
Whatever your goals and dreams are. Don't be afraid to
go after them it's never too late.
S2 (00:08):
And I don't know that Chatt Tech understands the impact
that they make on people's lives, but they do.
S3 (00:14):
There is no such thing as an ideal candidate for
the carpentry program. Oftentimes what we see is students will
start the program with zero prior knowledge of tools, of
building practices, and then they'll go on to have successful
careers in commercial and residential construction.
S4 (00:27):
98 .7 Chatt Tech or 98.7% of our students earn a career.
The day we'll be talking to current and former students,
faculty and a local recruiter about the carpentry program. We'll
learn more about how students can hammer out the details
and build a career they love.
S2 (00:41):
My name is Elle Lawton and I'm in the carpentry
program at Chat Tech.
S4 (00:46):
What interested you about the carpentry program?
S2 (00:48):
I want to take steel containers and I want to
make them beautiful. That's my dream. That's what I want
to do. I want to take a box and I
want to make them beautiful. Chat tech is going to
teach me how to do that, and I'm going to
make affordable homes for women.
S1 (01:00):
Hi, my name is Dareeus Wilson .
S5 (01:01):
Say, I am a graduate of the carpentry and construction
program at Chat Tech and I am now a year
to carpenter with Annie Johnson.
S4 (01:08):
Dareeus, what about you? Why did you choose carpentry?
S5 (01:11):
It's ultimately my desire to want to be in construction.
When I used to be a high school, I had
a love for construction. I was always fond of, you know,
building and putting things together. And so that's what ultimately led me to it. Going to Chatt Tech-
it was just ultimately my love for it.
S6 (01:31):
My name is Marci Smith and I'm the dean of
Business and Technical Studies at Chattahoochee Tech. So our carpentry
program has a couple of options for students. One option
is a short certificate. It's three courses. It's called certified
Construction Worker. And what students learn in that certificate is
an overview of building practices. They learn tools and safety
(01:54):
and they learn reading fundamentals. And that's a great place
for a person to start who wants to go work
in the construction industry. Then we also offer the carpentry diploma.
Carpentry Diploma provides a wide variety of courses around building
of structures. And so they're going to learn site layout
(02:14):
and footings. They're going to learn interior and exterior finishes,
they're going to learn framing and all of that sort
of thing.
S3 (02:21):
Thanks, Marci. I'm David Mazzotta I'm the lead instructor at Chattahoochee Tech.
For the carpentry program. For most of my adult life I was an infantryman
in the Army. I got out in 2018 and I
knew what I wanted to work on my hands. The
carpentry program at Chattahoochee Tech was a no brainer. So
I'm a graduate of the program, a small business owner
and best job on Earth. I get to teach what
I'm passionate about.
S4 (02:41):
What makes a good candidate for the carpentry program at
Chat Tech?
S3 (02:44):
There is no such thing as an ideal candidate for
the carpentry program. Oftentimes what we see is students will
start the program with zero prior knowledge of tools, of
building practices, and then they'll go on to have successful
careers in commercial and residential construction. That being said, if
you enjoy working with your hands, if you enjoy working
in an oftentimes high pressure environment, if you get a
sense of accomplishment from a completed project, this is the
(03:07):
program for you. Now.
S4 (03:07):
David it seems like carpentry is something that may be
challenging to learn in the classroom. Do students get a lot
of hands on time.
S3 (03:14):
So the carpentry program capitalizes on hands on time. This
is obviously a very active career field and that's something
that I take a lot of pride in, is how
much workshop time we get in the carpentry program. So
obviously stuff is important. We do spend some time in
the classroom. I went through a textbook learning safety precautions, tools,
(03:35):
wall framing how close together studs need to be to
make it structurally sound. Then we're going to move into
the workshop and we're going to use what we have
learned through our textbook, and we're going to put that
together into a shed. That is the project right now.
We are going to build a ten by 12 shed,
and that means foundation walls, roofs covered up, make it pretty.
(03:58):
And that's going to cover everything that we need to
do in a residential construction setting.
S4 (04:03):
Okay. What are some of the tools that students get
to use.
S3 (04:05):
Tools in the Carpenter program? You've got every tool that
you can imagine hand tools, power tools, pneumatic tools.
S4 (04:12):
Okay, this may take a while, and I don't want
to mess up his rhythm. We'll check back in. Marci,
what's the lab experience like for students?
S6 (04:19):
We have a lab on our Appalachian campus where students
put their hands on all of those things. So they
are actually building buildings within that building, and then they
tear them down and they build something else. So they're
getting all of that experience in a real life sort
of setting so that they're doing it. And then the instructors,
they're going to get feedback. Did you think about this?
(04:41):
This was the wrong tool, that sort of thing. So
it's a really great kind of hands on program for
somebody who's interested in building, but is really a hands on.
S4 (04:51):
Building, a building in a building only to tear it down.
It sounds a lot like my second grade AP Lego Class.
Let's check back in with lead instructor David, who's been
covering all the tools that students use.
S3 (05:02):
For certain applications we'll go over soccer, how fake your cuts are
going to be, pneumatic tools, how important those are to
framing a house. Circular saws, miter saws, table saws, fasteners,
you name it. We got it. Yeah.
S4 (05:16):
I think you covered everything, David. Let's talk about jobs.Does
Chatt Tech, help place graduates.
S3 (05:21):
That is a priority for this program is creating a
pipeline to good careers. And so former students have gone
on to work for well-established commercial construction companies around Atlanta
doing steel framing drywall. Companies that have lasted the test
of time and offer fantastic benefits and pay for skilled labor, particularly.
(05:46):
Anning Johnson out of Atlanta has hired four students of
this program. And those students came in with various degrees
of of knowledge of skill set. And two of them,
I know, came in with very, very little experience. And
this company hired them on immediately completing the program at
a higher pay than if they were to just walk
(06:08):
off the street. And they are now doing layouts for
that company. On a fast track to being foreman, Graduates
can expect to find jobs in a huge range of
industries is a very robust job. By some estimates, the
US is more than 3 million homes short of the demand,
and since 2018, the metro Atlanta area has grown about 2%
(06:29):
per year, driving demand for skilled labor. So the sky's
the limit with the skill set this program offers and
the job opportunities that come with it.
S7 (06:36):
My name is Edwin Parra. I'm with Anning Johnson Company,
where a nationwide specialty contractor also known as the DRAW Subcontractor.
We've been in business since 1940. Our original office was
opened in Chicago, Illinois in 1940. We opened our Atlanta
office in 1948, and today we have eight offices across
(06:57):
the US.
S4 (06:58):
But this program isn't just about carpentry in terms of wood, right?
I hear, there's more to it.
S7 (07:02):
There's definitely more to carpentry than just working with wood.
We specifically work in middle stud frame acoustic ceiling installation, which
uses all the same fundamentals of what we know is
residential carpentry or construction. Same measurements, similar tools, materials, equipment, etc..
S4 (07:20):
Thanks, Edwin. Are there any advantages to hiring a tech
carpentry grad over somebody without the degree? Sure.
S7 (07:26):
So we've actually started working with programs like the program,
the construction program there at Chattahoochee Tech about ten years ago.
And what we found was that individuals that may have
not had any previous on the job construction experience, they
still provided a lot of value to us on the
project by the safety training and safety credentials that they
(07:50):
earn there at programs like like you have at Chattahoochee Tech.
What that equated to was, well, quite simple. Almost eliminating
our biggest risk hazard in construction. 70% of the accidents
that happen on a job site occur with individuals that
are new to the industry. Since over the last ten
(08:11):
years that we've been recruiting out of programs like the
programs they're attracting, we've had zero recordable injuries from students
that have come out of programs at Chad Tech and
other programs similar to that. So literally that that helped,
you know, obviously reduce liability, increase production, reduce turnover. So
it was just a win win across the board for us.
(08:32):
And it also created a lot more opportunity for young
people entering the industry, coming out of programs like that.
Once companies like ours and other companies started to realize
the value that students were bringing coming out of these programs,
it really created more awareness in the industry to talent
from these programs.
S4 (08:51):
So Dareeus, as a former student, is there money to
be made from a carpentry degree?
S1 (08:57):
I would say there is money to be made. A
lot of things factor into it Experience. What company you
with your level of expertise? For me, being with the
company that I'm going on two years, I've already had over
four pay raises, you know, And then also being a
union carpenter, you know, that plays into it as well.
So yeah, there's money out there and you want it,
(09:19):
you're going to get it.
S4 (09:20):
What about an employer's point of view on career growth, Edwin?
S7 (09:22):
So we usually take individuals out of programs like the
construction program at Chatt Tech . We start them out in an
entry level role as a laborer. In that role, they're
able to be exposed to all the different types of tools, materials,
equipment on the job site without really having them having
to have the knowledge. So there's a little less pressure
coming on board initially without that previous experience. But it
(09:45):
allows you to opportunity to learn those things from the
ground up. It also allows us the opportunity to evaluate.
And if we see that the person has potential to grow,
they have the opportunity to join our apprenticeship program. Once
they join those apprenticeship programs, they're eligible for raises every
six months, their first two years. At this time. Typically,
people coming out of programs like this will generally start
(10:06):
around $17 an hour. And if they didn't go to
programs like this, they'd probably start between 15 and $16
an hour, depending on their experience. So literally just taken
a few courses at a school like Chatt Tech and increase their
earning potential from day one, even though they don't have
specific experience or on the job training just yet. The
first year it's a dollar raise every six months. The
(10:28):
second year it's a dollar 50 raise every six months.
So they can go, you know, from $17 now to
$22 an hour within their first two years and learn
the fundamentals of commercial carpentry.
S4 (10:39):
Is there anything else to add? I just want to
make sure I saw everything.
S1 (10:43):
I'll just say to whoever uses, you know, whatever your
goals and dreams are. Don't be afraid to go after them.
I never thought I would be back in college or
in school, and I went back at the age of
30 because I knew that there was more to life
for me, you know, than what I was doing at
that present time. Go after your goals, go after your dreams,
and don't let nothing and no one stop you. And yes,
(11:03):
you're going to have bumps and hiccups along the way.
But hey, it's all a lesson. It's all a lesson.
S2 (11:09):
I don't know that chat tech understands the impact that
they make on people's lives, but they do it. But
it's not just chat. Tech is a big building or
the multiple buildings. If the people in those buildings that
make those moments happen, it's every single person is important.
Every single day you show up is important. You're making
(11:30):
a difference in somebody's life.
S4 (11:32):
Elle, It sounds like you really hit the nail on the head. Okay,
I'll stop now. For more information about the carpentry program
at Chattahoochee Tech, visit Chattahoochee Tech dot EU. Thanks for
listening to 97 Chat Tech where 98.7% of our students
earn a career.
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