Mayor Eric Adams stopped by Terrace in the Park in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on June 24 to deliver remarks at the NYC District Council of Carpenters graduation ceremony.
With its graduating class representing all five boroughs, the 169 apprentices are now journeypersons of nine local unions comprised of millwrights, dockbuilders, timbermen, cabinetmakers, floorcoverers, high-rise concrete carpenters, industrial workers, and general carpenters.
“This program is so important because it provides a pathway to the middle-class for so many hardworking New Yorkers and creates a skilled workforce for our city,” Adams said. “The future is here in New York City, and as graduates of the District Council of Carpenters, you are building the city of tomorrow. Your work will shape the city for generations to come and our administration is excited to be there to lift you all up. Now go out and build the future.”
The graduates underwent rigorous training in the classroom and on the job throughout their four-year apprenticeship and are ready to embark on their careers building world-class infrastructure across New York City.
“The carpenters union is extremely proud to celebrate the achievement of our latest class of apprenticeship graduates,” said Joseph Geiger, executive secretary-treasurer of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. “These graduates are the future of our industry and our union. Each and every graduate has dedicated their time and hard work to become the best in their field and they are ready to safely and skillfully build the infrastructure that New York needs.”
The apprenticeships provided the training and opportunities that are the foundation for securing family-sustaining union jobs,
“Graduates of the program represent some of the most highly skilled workers in the city,” New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. “I am happy to attend this graduation and congratulate the next generation of union carpenters on their accomplishments. This apprenticeship program is an important contributor to our city’s workforce, and I commend the NYC Council of Carpenters Union for creating pathways to good-paying, family-sustaining union jobs for all New Yorkers.”
Over the course of the four-year apprenticeship, the men and women train at the District Council’s state-of-the-art training center in Manhattan, while also getting exposure to working in the field and in-classroom instruction and testing. Additionally, each year, apprentices participate in a skill-based competition to showcase the specialized skills of the current class.
“I joined the union as an apprentice in the summer of 2017, and I am officially a general carpenter journeyperson,” apprenticeship graduate Nora Vega said. “I am so thankful to the District Council for the opportunities that they have provided me. The apprenticeship program has given me a wealth of skills that will help me build a stable career that will support me and my family.”
