Nashville union leader says trade jobs are a ticket to the middle class

Tennessee has far more construction jobs than workers who have the skills to fill them. It’s part of an ongoing labor shortage in some of the state’s major industries.

More: What’s driving Nashville’s labor shortage? Some people say gig work is better than low-paying jobs.

While Tennessee has its own technical colleges for people interested in the trades, they’re sometimes filled with waitlists, making it hard for residents to enroll.

Nashville Building Trades president Eric Coons says apprenticeship programs are another way for people to get trained up without formal college.

“When I was a fifth-year apprentice, I was already making about $60,000 a year,” says Coons, who’s also the business manager for UA Local Union 572.

“I went on to a large project up in Clarksville, Tenn. after that — and was there for two years and I made over $120,000 a year.”

One way to land an apprenticeship, Coon says, is to enroll in a training program like Music City Construction Careers. MC3 serves as a talent pipeline for labor unions, construction contractors and other workforce agencies. Participants are offered paid training and benefits.

“If they come and sign up, we can get them to work very soon,” Coons says, “within days to weeks.”